May 14, 2016

Toronto’s first non-smoking apartment building

As Toronto’s first no-smoking apartment building, Alto by Edenshaw Homes is a breath of fresh air! An article in the Toronto Star describes this maverick building nestled in Little Portgual at Dundas West and Sheridan Avenue as a ground breaker.

“After decades of anti-smoking campaigns and legislation to protect people from second-hand smoke, you’d think there would be plenty of apartment buildings, condominiums and other multi-unit residential buildings that ban smoking. But that’s not the case,” writes Patricia Huchy of The Star.

She talks to tenants Jonah Wolfrain and Illyse Lax who describe their joy of living in a 100% smoke-free building. Their sentiments are echoed by experts in the field like Andrew Noble, policy analyst for the Non-Smokers’ Rights Association and Smoke-Free Housing Ontario. “Toronto needs this in order to have healthy places for tenants to live.”

With 99% of apartment buildings allowing smoking there are few options for serious anti-smokers, despite the fact that an Ipsos Reid poll in 2014 determined that 89% of adult Ontarians believe that smoking should not be allowed in apartment buildings, rooming house and retirement homes.

Other green aspects of Alto include power from Bullfrog, which provides electricity from wind and low-impact hydro, with the landlord paying the premium the first year. Two bikes are available for sharing. And there are three rental cars on the premises.

Read the full Star article Here