Since a vote Monday by city council to amend a bylaw restricting open-air fires between the hours of 2 p.m. and 11 p.m., the Saskatoon Fire Department has not received any calls for enforcement.
“We’ve had lots of citizens calling in asking questions just confirming the timelines of the bylaw in terms of a 2 p.m. to 11 p.m. allowable time to have an open fire but other than that we haven’t had a lot of messages come our way,” fire Chief Morgan Hackl said.
This hasn’t stopped people from sounding off online:
In the months leading up to Monday’s vote, Kaela Tennant who spearheaded the change for her son who suffers from asthma and respiratory issues, said people were vile.
“The public backlash … has been horrific and it never ceases to amaze me, how angry people can be,” Tennant said.
“The responses of rage you know, ‘how dare you because I like this and it’s my right’ and I think there’s this confusion about it’s an immutable right … no.”
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The bylaw became effective immediately.
Council had previously considered an outright ban on open-air fires in new neighbourhoods, but there was no decision on that topic.