Thanks To Council
For Saving Us

By Kerry Diotte

On July 1st, a new Edmonton bylaw was enacted, which aims to keep all of us safer.

No, it won’t keep us safer from being mugged or accosted in our city’s core.

No, it won't keep the downtown streets and businesses safe at night.

No, it won't keep us safe from drug-related crime.

Nor will this bylaw keep us safe on our transit system.

Instead, this Canada Day, Edmontonians are finally safe from plastic forks and paper napkins.

Yes, you read that right!

Not content with Justin Trudeau’s sweeping, draconian federal plastics ban, which is set to take full effect at the end of this year, the City of Edmonton has gone even further than the federal government's proposal.

The City's ban targets almost any type of single-use item - plastic and paper, which leads to some ridiculous situations.

In fact, there is a wealth of head-scratching lunacy in the bylaw if you read it fully.

Here are just a few examples:

Restaurants will not be permitted to use single-use cups in-house. Reusable cups must be used for dine-in orders, and the restaurant must have a written policy for how to deal with customers who wish to bring and use their own cups from home!

Things like utensils, straws, pre-packaged condiments, and napkins (yep, not just plastic but paper too) must only be available by request, not provided automatically.

In addition, businesses won’t be able to give you a plastic shopping bag (even the new compostable ones that are more environmentally friendly than reusable bags!), and they must charge a minimum of 15 cents for a paper bag or $1 minimum for a reusable bag - and the price will increase next year too.

Don't expect the insanity to stop here either.

When the plan was first voted upon by City Council in Fall 2022, Mayor Sohi made it clear:

“This is an exciting first step, but it is only a first step. We have a long way to go as we work on our commitment on the climate emergency.”

Only Councillors Karen Principe and Jennifer Rice voted against the bylaw.

Are you fed up with such lunacy from our City Council?

Do you think they should be concerned with more important matters?

Don’t just yell at your TV or complain to your neighbour, do something about it!

1. Sign our petition against this crazy policy.
   
   
2. Contact the Mayor and Councillors and tell them what you think.
   
   
3. Please share this column with your friends and family.
   
   
4. Make a donation to Common Sense Edmonton to help fund our work on this and other important City issues.

Kerry Diotte is a spokesperson for Common Sense Edmonton, a long-time journalist, former City Councillor, and former Member of Parliament for Edmonton Griesbach.