Highwayman Pub owner champions smokers' rights

Walking into the Highwayman Pub in Abbotsford, British Columbia, is a bit like strolling into an old-fashioned British pub. Wood-panelled, cosy, and friendly, it's a community gathering place where lunch-time patrons range from the jeans and t-shirt crowd to well-dressed businessmen.

As is true for most pubs, a great many of the customers smoke. And if owner Diane Davies has her way, the freedom to light up over a glass of beer will always be upheld at the Highwayman.

Smoking in restaurants and pubs is currently permitted in Abbotsford, and Davies has been fighting hard to keep it that way. Over the last couple of years, she has gathered over 15,000 signatures on a petition she keeps on hand in the wine and beer store adjacent to the pub. When the issue of a smoking ban came up at City Council, she was on hand to make her voice heard - - and to demonstrate the public support she has garnered.

"One council member asked me what I would do if a smoking ban bylaw passed. I said I'd be getting free meals -- because I'd be the first person to sit in jail over this," recalls the spirited Davies, whose fight has included media appearances and letters to local newspapers. "I truthfully believe my stand was one of the reasons why a ban didn't get to the council agenda."

Spoken like a die-hard nicotine addict, some might quip. But they'd be wrong. Davies doesn't smoke, and doesn't particularly like to be in a smoky environment. But as a businesswoman and a private individual, she likes even less the idea of government policing people's behaviour and lifestyles, or telling private businesses how to run their affairs. "I believe you have a right to smoke," she says simply.

A vivacious "people person", Davies does not allow the smoking issue to affect her social life, either. Her friends include smokers, with whom she sometimes takes long-distance car trips. How does that work? If the smokers want to smoke, the car pulls over for a break and the puffing is done outside. Everyone's comforts and preferences are respected. Simple, really.

A former competitive golfer who once played with the likes of Dave Barr and Ray Stewart, Davies takes the same determination she once exhibited on the links to her fight on this issue. "I'm going to be a real tough customer," she vows. "If the municipality says to me that I can't have smoking in my establishment, I would say, take a flying leap. I'll fight it all the way -- tooth and nail."

She has a message for people who object to the oppressive regulations that the antismoking lobby would seek to impose on her friends and her customers.

"Fight back! It's a matter of speaking up. The people out there who want to smoke in public places have to take the initiative and really do it. What do they say? The squeaky wheel gets the grease."