It's time for smokers to butt out.

Churchill Square will soon be smoke-free, and other city-owned spaces could follow suit, after council voted Wednesday to ban lighting up on the public space in front of city hall.

The bylaw, initially proposed by Coun. Michael Walters, is expected to be drawn up and take effect in three months.

"Where we have families and lots of kids, we should create the conditions where they can have a smoke-free environment. And we did that today, so I feel pretty good," Walters said.

The city will not hire additional security to enforce the new bylaw, as guards already enforce a smoking ban within 10 metres of the fountain in front of city hall.

Coun. Michael Oshry took things a step further, asking council to explore options for smoking bans at all outdoor city-owned recreation facilities and attractions -- including places like Fort Edmonton Park and the Valley Zoo.

Oshry's motion, which passed Wednesday, suggested also looking at designated smoking areas in parks.

"I think we have to make sure that the onus is on the smoker to make sure that they behave properly so that the facilities can be enjoyed by everybody else," he said.

Mayor Don Iveson, who supported the Churchill Square ban, also backed Oshry's motion.

"It seems odd that we haven't looked at that, up to this point, for some of those facilities," he said.

"We want these places to be safe, inviting and healthy, and clean air is a part of that."

Last week, a council committee discussed the options of banning smoking only during major events on the square, or creating a designated smoking area.

Couns. Ben Henderson and Tony Caterina voted against the all-out ban Wednesday, while Couns. Dave Loken, Mike Nickel and Ed Gibbons were absent.

Henderson said he often sees people hanging out on the square and smoking in the middle of the afternoon when few people are around and nobody is being bothered.

"I worry that it becomes a way to push people that are using the square off it. I'm particularly aware that a lot of people who are using it as a public space are people who don't have a lot of other places to go, and it will just make it a more unwelcome place for them," he said.

"I think we may end up pushing people, ironically, out to the sidewalks where everybody who is a non-smoker is going to have to walk by the smokers."

Smokers who violate the ban could be slapped with a $250 fine, though city administration said security guards will encourage voluntary compliance before issuing tickets.

Caterina said the ban is "going way overboard" for an issue that has not drawn a public outcry.

Traditional aboriginal pipe ceremonies will be exempt from the ban.

kevin.maimann@sunmedia.ca

@SunKevinM