History of Smoking in Canadian Bars & Pubs

In the 1950s, 60s, and early 70s, smoking was not just allowed in Canadian bars — it was expected. Bar culture and smoking were inseparable. Every pub had ashtrays embedded into the tables or freestanding heavy glass ashtrays. Cigarette vending machines were standard fixtures near the washrooms. Bartenders often smoked while working, and the law didn’t care.

• 🚬 Cigarette vending machines: Located in every bar lobby — insert coins, pull the knob, get a pack of Export ‘A’, Du Maurier, or Player’s.
• 🎲 Free matches and ashtrays: Tobacco companies provided bars with branded ashtrays, matchbooks, and lighters as promotional items.
• 🏒 Hockey night rituals: Watching the Maple Leafs or Canadiens on TV meant a cigarette in one hand and a beer in the other.
• 🚫 No such thing as “non-smoking section”: The entire bar was smoking-allowed. Bartenders, servers, and patrons all smoked.

The 1980s saw the first feeble attempts at separating smokers from non-smokers in bars. But unlike restaurants, bars were much harder to regulate. Patrons were often drunk, and enforcing “non-smoking sections” was nearly impossible. Most bars simply designated a small corner as “non-smoking” — but the ventilation system pulled smoke from the entire room.

• 📏 1989: Health Canada guidelines — recommended bars create smoking sections, but no legal requirement.
• 🍁 1994: Toronto bylaw attempt — Toronto tried to ban smoking in bars, but the hospitality industry fought back fiercely.
• 👩‍🍳 Bar staff health crisis: Studies showed bartenders and servers had lung cancer rates 50–80% higher than the general population.
• 🔄 The “accordion wall” farce: Some bars installed folding walls that didn’t reach the ceiling — smoke just flowed over the top.

The push for smoke-free bars faced fierce opposition from the hospitality industry. Bar owners argued that smoking bans would drive customers away, reduce revenue, and force closures. Some predictions were dire: “70% of bars will close within a year.” But history proved them wrong.

• 📉 Predicted disaster: Industry groups claimed revenue would drop 30-50% after smoking bans.
• 📈 Reality: After initial adjustments, bar revenues actually increased in most provinces — non-smokers started going out more.
• ⚖️ Lawsuits: Bar owners sued provincial governments, arguing that smoking bans violated their rights. All lawsuits failed.
• 🚬 Underground smoking rooms: Some bars tried to create “ventilated smoking rooms” — but they were expensive and eventually banned.