The Emergency Preparedness and Protective Services Committee today approved a by-law that requires retailers of vaping products to obtain a new business license.
Specialty vaping retailers are subject to inspections and regulation under the Smoke-Free Ontario Act, but do not currently require a municipal business license. Licensing would ensure these businesses comply with all regulations related to the sale, display and promotion of vaping products. It would also help address City resource and enforcement concerns and improve community health and safety.
A primary concern is the number of charges issued for selling vapour products to persons under the age of 19. Since the start of 2022, 51 per cent of all vapour product related charges issued to local retailers under the Smoke-Free Ontario Act have been for selling vapour products to minors.
The annual licensing fee would be $930, or $1,092 for retailers selling both vaping and tobacco products. The license for tobacco-only retailers would remain at $930. If Council approves, the new licensing requirements would take effect on Saturday, November 30.
The Committee received the Public Safety Service 2023 Annual Report, outlining work done in 2023 to ensure a safe and secure environment for City employees, residents and visitors. The report notes that the Public Safety Service continues to focus on increasing resiliency to extreme weather and changing climate conditions by strengthening community capacity for climate preparedness and emergency response. The Committee also approved updating the current Emergency Management Program By-law to reflect current organizational structures and inclusive language standards.
The Committee also received the 9-1-1 Annual Report 2023, which provides details about Ottawa’s 9-1-1 service for 2023. Since 2020, overall call volumes have continued to increase year over year. In 2023, this was partly attributed to a now-resolved, North America-wide software glitch on cell phones and other devices that resulted in erroneous calls to 9-1-1.
While call response times in 2023 did not meet the standard, agreed by the City and the Ottawa Police Services Board, of having 97 per cent of calls answered within six seconds, there was noticeable improvement over the previous year. While that standard was met 81 per cent of the time in 2022, it was met 89 per cent in 2023.
Items considered at this meeting will rise to Council on Wednesday, October 30.
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