Where You Can Smoke and Vape in Saskatoon

Saskatoon bans smoking and vaping in all outdoor spaces owned or run by the City, and on restaurant and bar patios. The rule sits in Bylaw No. 8286, The Smoking Control Bylaw, 2004, which took effect on 1 July 2004 and was codified to Bylaw No. 9636 on 26 August 2019. This page reflects the consolidated text on the City Clerk’s site as of 27 October 2026.

Where is smoking banned in Saskatoon?

The bylaw applies to a list of places in section 4:

• outdoor public places operated by the City
• outdoor seating areas such as patios, decks, terraces and rooftops that belong to a restaurant or licensed premises
• sidewalk cafes
• restaurants, bars and other licensed premises
• billiard halls, bingo halls, bowling centres, casinos and private clubs

An outdoor public place means any outdoor space the City owns or operates that is open to the public. The bylaw names parks, swimming pools, playgrounds, outdoor sports fields and public squares or recreation areas. It excludes streets and sidewalks, so the bylaw does not stop you from lighting up on a public sidewalk outside a park.

An outdoor bus shelter counts as an enclosed public place, and so does a transit vehicle while it is available for hire. Provincial law, the Tobacco Control Act, covers other public places. The bylaw says it supplements that Act, and if the two conflict, the stricter one wins.

What about vaping?

Section 5.1 bans vaping in every place listed above. It goes further in three spots. You cannot vape in an enclosed public place, on the grounds of a school, or within three metres of a school doorway, window or air intake. You also cannot vape in any vehicle while a person under 16 is inside.

The bylaw does not set a general door distance for ordinary buildings. The three-metre rule is tied to schools.

What are the penalties?

An officer who sees an offence issues a notice of violation. If an individual pays the City $150 within 14 calendar days, they are not prosecuted. A proprietor who permits smoking, fails to post signs, or leaves ashtrays out has a $500 voluntary payment.

If a case goes to court, the maximum fine is $500 for an individual who smokes or vapes where prohibited and $5,000 for a proprietor who permits it. Payment is made at City Hall at 222 Third Avenue North or by mail to the Office of the City Treasurer.

Who enforces it?

Section 9 appoints these people as bylaw enforcement officers:

• members of the Saskatoon Police Service
• tobacco enforcement officers designated under Saskatchewan’s Tobacco Control Act
• public health officers designated under The Public Health Act, 1994
• anyone else the City appoints

The bylaw text does not give a reporting number or complaint form, and we did not find one on an official Saskatoon page we could open. Check the City’s website for its current complaint channel.

Ceremonial tobacco and cannabis

Section 5 protects the use of tobacco in a City-owned public place for traditional Aboriginal spiritual or cultural practices or ceremonies. Cannabis is handled in section 5.3, which states that no one may smoke or vape cannabis in any public place.

For the wider picture, see Saskatchewan’s tobacco rules and how outdoor bans work across Canada. Typical penalty ranges are compared in fines for smoking in prohibited places. Prairie neighbours include Winnipeg, and all other cities are on the bylaw hub.