FORT FRANCES, Ont. – Fort Frances could become the first municipality in Ontario to pass a single-use plastics ban. The town council will debate a motion to ban items like plastic shopping bags, styrofoam take-out containers, and plastic straws at a meeting this Monday.
The by-law includes a lengthy phase-in period. The rules would not come into effect until Jan. 1, 2021, with no fines applied for another year after that. Proponents say that gives businesses plenty of time to prepare for the change.
Town councillor Douglas Judson, who has championed the initiative, says it has broad support, including in the local business community. After talking with the Fort Frances Chamber of Commerce and Downtown Business Improvement Association (BIA) about the proposal, he says he encountered no major objections.
“That tells me the political support is there for communities to take this leadership,” he says.
If passed, the by-law would be the first of its kind in Ontario. A proposed ban in Toronto failed in 2013 after encountering political opposition and legal challenges. Similar motions are currently being considered by the city of Woodstock and the town of Mono, near Orangeville.
The policies are more common on the East coast, passed provincially by Newfoundland and Labrador and Prince Edward Island. The movement has also spread to dozens of municipalities in Quebec, Manitoba, and British Columbia.
Federally, the Liberals announced plans before last year’s election to take similar steps. But Judson says counting on that commitment is a bad idea, given its unclear timelines – and points out Trudeau’s minority government may not survive long enough to enact it.
Judson is optimistic ahead of Monday’s vote. He initially proposed the by-law at a November council meeting, and it has since passed through two committees, with both recommending it for adoption.
“This has overcome a lot of hurdles,” he says, “and it has a lot of support around the council table.”
Town administration, however, is less keen on the idea. Travis Rob, Manager of Operations and Facilities, submitted a letter advising council not to adopt the by-law. Rob suggests his concerns are shared by a number of other high-level municipal staff.
In the letter, Rob cautions the ban could infringe on Ontario’s Human Rights Code by discriminating against those requiring plastic straws and other items due to a disability. He also questions how local chain outlets, dependent on massive supply chains, could comply with the regulations.
Rob suggests the ban should wait until the town has a clearer sense of developments at the provincial and federal level, and holds more thorough public consultation.
“A by-law of this type that affects so many residents in widely varying ways, should be given more opportunities for community wide comment and input should the Town move forward,” he writes.
The proposed by-law includes a list of exceptions: stores could still offer plastic bags for loose bulk items like fruit, nuts, and candy, or hardware items like nuts and bolts. Consumers would still be able to purchase packages of plastic bags and disposable containers for home use. Meanwhile, stores over a certain size would be required to offer reusable bags for purchase at checkout.
Fines for businesses caught violating the ban would range from $100 to $10,000. Individuals could be subject to fines of $50 to $500.
