shisha bars toronto

Hookah ban in Toronto not a done deal yet

Hookah might be banned in Toronto, but many bars are still offering these water pipes to customers, reports the Toronto Star.

After Toronto's medical officer David McKeown released a report seeking to prohibit hookah from local businesses, city council voted last fall to ban them from Toronto establishments and this new bylaw came into effect on April 1 of this year.

According to the Star, however, the city licensing office is holding off ticketing businesses until July 1.

And, as the Toronto Star reports, four hookah bar owners in Scarborough are heading to court in June to dispute this bylaw.

"Our argument is that the [City of Toronto] act does not give the city the power to pass a bylaw that prohibits my clients from operating a lawful business anywhere in the city of Toronto. We say the bylaw puts them out of business," said the lounge owners' lawyer Ryan Zigler to the Star.

Do you still smoke hookah at Toronto bars? Let us know in the comments.

Photo by Jesse Milns.


Latest Videos



Latest Videos


Join the conversation Load comments

Latest in City

Toronto's Love Park pond just got drained because of someone's dumb stunt

Family of flies native to Ontario has a potent neurotoxic bite and even eats birds

These Ontario companies were voted among best places to work in Canada for 2024

Toronto just agreed on a solution to nightmare gridlock traffic on Spadina

Man walks on water in giant bubble to protest the loss of a Toronto beach

Canadians could cash in on proposed prescription antibiotics class action

Toronto to spend a combined $135 million on new island ferries and other upgrades

Toronto might be getting 'relief' ferries to handle overwhelming island crowds