No! No! No! No!

Some residents in Mississauga are wondering if they’re suddenly living in a nanny state, the city that says: No!

In the past few months, city council has either passed or decided to consider bans on privately bred cats and dogs, access to tanning salons for minors, shark fin products, excessive bird feeders on residential property and the sale of art supplies to minors that could be used for graffiti.

“It’s Mickey Mouse stuff, trivial,” says Mississauga resident John Walmark, the former president of two homeowners’ associations. “It makes us look like a small town of 5,000 people, not the sixth-largest city in Canada.”

Walmark wants to know how the city is going to fund the next three budgets on the heels of sharp property tax hikes and how it will handle the $1.6 billion infrastructure deficit facing the city. “Does council think we care about these things? Is it even their job to be banning bird feeders and art supplies?”

Neither of those suggested bans has been passed. The bird feeder proposal is to restrict the number a resident can have to three.

Councillor Pat Saito, who has introduced some of these ideas, including the proposed ban on selling art supplies to minors looking for graffiti material (which she says probably won’t pass), defends council’s recent decisions.

“Dealing with issues like this does not mean we are neglecting other important issues, and what may seem trivial to one person may in fact be very important to many others.”

“What’s next? Belly rings and bleached hair?” wonders Alexandra Turner, owner of Sunset Tan in Mississauga. She obviously has a vested interest in fighting a ban proposed in May that would cost her dozens of clients under the age of 18.

But she says it’s not just her bottom line that makes her question council’s recent behaviour. “Who are they consulting? If it’s a health concern, shouldn’t it be left to the province or federal government?”

Turner says that if the tanning ban is passed, affected clients will just go to nearby municipalities. “We’re at a huge disadvantage. What about all our clients who are referred by their doctors for psoriasis or eczema?”

She says her salon takes preventative measures.

“We don’t let our customers tan excessively, we do not allow any redness, just a base tan that actually prevents burning, which is the real danger.”

Other municipalities in Canada, including Toronto, have banned things such as sale or consumption of shark fin and plastic shopping bags (something Mayor Hazel McCallion recently said she supports, though she couldn’t be reached Monday while on vacation.)

But Mississauga residents wonder: Why all the “big brother” rules all of a sudden?

Inside Perry’s Pet Mart, the Ly family is looking for a puppy, but they have to act fast because all the cats and dogs inside the store are from private breeders. After they sell their current stock, Mississauga pet stores will no longer be allowed to sell privately bred dogs or cats.

“People will lose hours and people will lose jobs,” says manager Brian Ward. “It’s frustrating. My gut reaction is: This is my livelihood, this is how I pay my mortgage and take care of my family, as do other employees here.”

He says he understands the intent of the ban, to put animal mills where dogs and cats are reared in horrible conditions out of business, but says the ban will make things worse.

“Those animals are sold online. Go to Kijiji and look at the pages upon pages of dogs and cats available in Toronto and Mississauga. Does council think they look like they’re taking action by doing this? We’re already regulated; you could even regulate us further. Are you going to regulate the Internet?”

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It was a point Councillor Ron Starr made when the ban was passed in June. He didn’t agree with it and said council was going too far, but supported the ban anyway.

Saito said it’s well within the jurisdiction of municipalities to impose such bans.

“I’m proud to be part of a council that cares for the safety and well being of our citizens and for those vulnerable members of our community (both human and non-human), and one that takes action to protect the community.”

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