Toronto’s ban on hookah lounges, which was supposed to start this spring, is being challenged in court by four Scarborough lounge owners. “The City of Toronto only has powers given to it by the (provincial) City of Toronto Act,” Zigler said in an interview Tuesday. Their lawyer, Ryan Zigler, said he will be in court June 24 arguing Toronto city council had no right last fall to ban, on public health grounds, use of water pipes in city-licensed establishments. “Our argument is that the act does not give the city the power to pass a bylaw that prohibits my clients from operating a lawful business anywhere in the city of Toronto. We say the bylaw puts them out of business.”Although the ban was to take effect April 1, Zigler said that, in light of the legal challenge, city licensing are holding off issuing tickets until July 1.

Source: thestar May 24, 2016 16:26 UTC