(MARSHALL JONES / iNFOnews.ca)
July 12, 2019 - 4:30 PM
SALMON ARM - Salmon Arm will continue with on with its plastic bag ban while keeping a close eye on Victoria following the recent court decision quashing the provincial capital's disposable bag bylaw.
Less than two weeks after the City of Salmon Arm's plastic bag ban came into effect July 1, the Court of Appeal ruled to overturn the City of Victoria's right to impose a plastic bag ban.
Salmon Arm Mayor Alan Harrison said they'll see how the issue transpires.
"We're just digesting the court of appeal decision at this time," Mayor Harrison said. "We'll let them (Victoria) take a lead."
"We're in exactly the same situation the City of Victoria would be in as well as any other community that's passed just a (plastic bag ban) bylaw," he said. "For us, in Salmon Arm, we're just going to continue on at the point we're at right now."
Salmon Arm's plastic bag ban came into effect in the city July 1, but includes a six month transition period for businesses to transfer over from plastic bags.
Although just in its early days, the mayor said the bylaw was going ahead as expected.
"I think in the few weeks the transition period has gone exactly like we thought, lots of retailers invested in reusable bags... some stores already don't have plastic bags," he said. "Overall I would say in the city, residents are very supportive (of the ban)."
Salmon Arm isn't the only place to be caught off-guard by the decision. The City of Kamloops approved a draft bylaw that would eventually see plastic bags banned in the city just two days before the appeal courts decision.
The Regional District of North Okanagan also began moving forward with a plastic ban earlier in May.
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