Some restaurant owners in Fort Frances are asking for a postponement of a local ban on single-use plastics.
It prohibits the use of plastic bags in stores and things like plastic utensils and food containers in restaurants.
Enforcement of the bylaw is scheduled to take place on January 1, 2022.
Boston Pizza owner Dale Fortes wrote to town council saying the pandemic has caused supply chain issues, making it difficult to find alternatives to plastic utensils and food containers.
Councillor John McTaggart says it’s worth reconsidering.
“I think that they support the concept. I believe they have been working towards an end goal of meeting the target and the bylaw. But if there’s something we can do to assist them in a short period of time, I really think it’s incumbent upon us to have that discussion,” says McTaggart.
Councillor Mike Behan is okay taking another look but expressed concern with the timing of the request.
“I’m a little disappointed this wasn’t raised earlier instead of the last possible moment for this to come back to our December 13 council meeting before the bylaw was scheduled to take effect on January 1, But as I said, this appears to be a valid concern,” says Behan.
Councillor Doug Judson, who introduced the ban, notes businesses were given almost two years to prepare.
“I am concerned that with frankly over two years of runway, we’re hearing about this with one council meeting left before the bylaw comes into effect. I have also conferred with other restaurants who told me from the outset they were very able to find these products,” says Judson.
Judson believes the town can be flexible in the enforcement but was okay sending it to the committee level for another review.
It will be passed on to council’s Planning and Development Executive Committee with a recommendation coming back to council to consider at their first meeting in December.
