Smoking and Vaping Rules in Winnipeg

Winnipeg’s outdoor smoking rules come from the Outdoor Smoking By-law, No. 62/2011. Council passed it on 25 May 2011 and approved amendments on 22 March 2018 that extended it to restaurant and bar patios. The City’s outdoor smoking page lists the current locations; the details below are from that page and its earlier version on the same topic, as of 27 October 2026.

Where is outdoor smoking banned in Winnipeg?

At all times, smoking is prohibited at:

• playgrounds
• school properties, public and private, from elementary to secondary
• health care facility properties, including designated hospitals, personal care homes (residents may use clearly marked designated areas) and listed clinics
• outdoor patios at restaurants and bars that occupy a defined space and need an occupancy permit

Within 30 metres of:

• City of Winnipeg or community-centre athletic fields and outdoor ice rinks, during an organized youth event (soccer pitches, ball diamonds, football fields, outdoor hockey rinks)
• City or community-centre swimming pools, wading pools, spray pads and spray parks

Within 8 metres of an outdoor entrance to health care facilities, City of Winnipeg workplaces and Winnipeg Regional Health Authority workplaces.

The City’s list does not include ordinary parks, streets or sidewalks.

What products are covered?

The ban covers tobacco, cannabis and any other substance that produces second-hand smoke when used: cigarettes, cigars, pipes, e-cigarettes, water pipes, hookahs and similar devices. Ceremonies led by Indigenous persons are exempt.

What are the fines?

Infraction	Fine
Smoking on a playground	$200
Within 30 m of a pool, wading pool, spray pad or spray park	$200
Within 30 m of an athletic field or rink during a youth event	$200
On school or health care facility premises	$200
Within 8 m of an entrance to a health care facility, City workplace or WRHA workplace	$200
On an outdoor patio	$200
Owner or operator failing to ensure no one smokes on a patio	$400

How do you report it?

Tell the property manager, or contact 311 to report the incident. The City says its main goal is voluntary compliance through public education, and enforcement comes second.

What about indoors?

The Province of Manitoba enforces the ban on smoking in enclosed public places through The Smoking and Vapour Products Control Act. The provincial picture is on the Manitoba page.

The City page does not say who issues tickets, and we did not find an official statement on that. By contrast, Saskatoon bans smoking in all City-run outdoor spaces. Wider context is in outdoor smoking bans across Canada and fines for smoking in prohibited places. The bylaw hub has other cities.