Victoria Freedom of Choice Coalition |
NEWS RELEASE, July 23, 1999 |
Leonard and Young Favor Business Shutdown |
| Capital Regional District (CRD) Chair Geoff
Young and CRD heavyweight Frank Leonard are following through on their
threat to shut down businesses that they say fail to comply with the
CRD's so called Clean Air Bylaw.
At least one summons has been served to a
Greater Victoria area pub with several more to follow. The papers served
allege bylaw infractions by the owners and ask for a B.C. Supreme Court
Injunction to force bylaw compliance. The summons demands total
compliance or forced business closure and court costs.
According to CRD statistics published in the
Victoria Times Colonist July 22, the CRD is aware of at least 23 Greater
Victoria hospitality businesses that are not complying with the bylaw.
These businesses employ over 400 full time workers and generate
millions of dollars to the local economy. A recent economic survey
showed losses of six million dollars to the local economy, January
through March '99, as a direct result of the implementation of the anti
smoking bylaw.
Frank Leonard who has a background in small
business and Geoff Young who claims to be a Harvard educated economist,
have been the driving forces behind the implementation of this bylaw and
now they are leading the charge to force the closure of these local
businesses.
Recently the Victoria Freedom of Choice
Coalition partnered with over one hundred Victoria businesses and
associations in signing an open letter to the Capital Regional District.
This letter proposed a common sense solution through voluntary
compliance and a clean air technology.
Leonard and Young and their CRD cronies have
set aside common sense in favor of discriminatory and punitive measures
that will ultimately cost the community millions of dollars, hundreds of
jobs and irreversible damage to tourism. This behavior is outrageous in
these already tough economic times. Shame on them. |
| The 'Victoria Freedom of Choice Coalition'
is a group of British Columbia businesses, associations and private
individuals concerned with ever increasing government intervention and
social engineering. Most particularly the recent implementation and
attempted enforcement of the Capital Regional District's so called Clean
Air Bylaw.
Contact: Brian Mayzes, 1 250 386 2152 |
| C/O Esquimalt Inn, 856 Esquimalt Road,
Esquimalt, B.C., V9A 3M4
Tel: 250 386 2152, Fax: 250 386 4313, Email: Focc@mcdpri.com |
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