WINNIPEG — A local bowling alley is taking a new business approach heading into the summer months, allowing vaping inside the building one night a week.
Starting May 3, Roxy Bowling Lanes on Henderson Highway will be hosting a ‘Glow and Vape’ bowling night every Wednesday night from 6 pm. to 10 p.m.
“We’re a rock and roll bowling alley. Anything goes,” owner of Roxy Bowling Lanes Melissa Gauthier said.
The idea started about a week ago Gauthier said, when a young woman walked into the building and asked if the bowling alley would be interested in opening its door to the vaping community.
Within a couple of days, Gauthier and her husband Rob decided to give the idea a green light.
“Why not give these people a place to entertain themselves for one night? There’s 168 hours in a week, we’re only dedicating four hours to them,” she said.
Right now Gauthier said she isn’t breaking the law by allowing vaping inside the bowling alley. She said there are no concrete rules in place that have told her she can’t host ‘Vape and Bowl’ night.
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She said she has experimented with hosting vape parties in the past, and they were a success.
“We had a party here, it was great. The smoke was gone within 40 minutes.”
Members of the vape community in Winnipeg have caught wind of the announcement on Facebook. Shirley McDeeth is a member of Peg City Cloud Club, and said an event like this has been a long time coming.
“It’s something we’ve been fighting for, for a really long time, and something we’ve been working towards for a really long time. We’re getting down to the wire here,” McDeeth said,
The province said the Non-Smokers Health Protection Amendment Act, which will prohibit the use of e-cigarettes in public spaces has received Royal Assent, but has yet to be proclaimed into force. Which means there is no legislation that would make Gauthier’s event night illegal.
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A lab technician at Fat Panda also said there is currently no evidence, showing vaping poses a health risk, if nicotine is not included.
“Essentially e-juice, without the nicotine in it, is just like a fog machine,” Philippe Bouchard said.