An area of downtown Sudbury that has long been the subject of resident complaints is trying a new tactic to solve a persistent problem.
The owners of the downtown Tim Hortons restaurant and the adjacent LCBO store have tried in the past to discourage people from hanging outside their stores, including ridged metal bars along the perimeter to discourage people from sitting.
The area is still a popular hangout, however, discouraging some people from frequenting the businesses. As part of a new strategy, the owners have been letting it be known over the last month that smoking will be banned in the shared parking lot.
"That was a decision made between the property owners," said Kaitlyn Dunn, spokesperson for the Greater Sudbury Police, on Friday.
The ban came into effect Thursday, and Dunn said police will be enforcing the ban under the Trespass to Property Act. Violators will face a $65 fine, in hopes of reducing the number of people standing around in the lot.
"Consistent with loitering is smoking while loitering," she said. "So the hope is there will be less loitering period. It's all part of our downtown strategy. There have been concerns brought up by business owners, as well as community members who frequent the downtown core.
"As part of that strategy, we're working together. This is was something that was decided by the business owners and we are going to be enforcing it through the (trespassing act), because it is private property."
The move is the latest effort business owners, the city and police have made to improve the feeling of security downtown. Other efforts include some design changes at the nearby Sudbury Transit Terminal, and a move by Transit official to double the security hours following a violent confrontation last spring between an agitated man and police.
The man was shot when he rushed police, receiving non-life threatening injuries.
