Calgary councillors to debate secondary suites, taxis and e-cigarettes

CALGARY – City councillors are expected to discuss several hot-button issues in council chambers on Monday.

Calgary’s cab crunch could potentially be eased if councillors vote to increase the number of licenses.

Earlier this month, a city committee voted 6-2 in favour of adding 383 new plates.

It came after a marathon meeting that attracted hundreds of city cabbies.

It’s not known how long it would take for the taxis to hit city streets, should it be approved.

Meanwhile, the issue of secondary suites will also back before city council on Monday.

Several inner-city councilors are expected to present a motion to legalize suites within 600 meters of all LRT stations and other primary transit stations in Wards 7, 8, 9 and 11.

Mayor Naheed Nenshi says high rent and low vacancy rates are pushing the need for more housing options.

“Every other city in the country has done this already, it creates a few hundred safe, legal suites per year,” says Nenshi. “It’s not a big deal, but it’s important to those few hundred people who live in those places… and I think it’s an important step for us to take.”

If passed, council will instruct administration to bring back a report on parking issues, suites in semi-detached buildings and landlord responsibilities. It would be due by year’s end.

Estimates about the number of secondary suites in our city vary widely from 13,000 to 80,000.

Another item on the agenda on Monday is electronic cigarettes.

Council has directed administration to prepare a project work plan examining the issue of e-cigarettes and the potential impacts on communities and citizens.

City councillors in Toronto recently voted in favour of banning e-cigarettes from city buildings.

In Red Deer, councillors have verified that their current Smoke Free Bylaw also applies to e-cigarettes, and prevents users from ‘vaping’ anywhere where smoking is already banned.