Smoking Distance From Doors and Entrances

The short answer

It depends on the province, and in several provinces the official pages give no general distance at all. The “9 metre rule” many people quote is real in some places and mistaken in others, so read the row for where you are.

Distances by jurisdiction

Jurisdiction	Distance and where it applies
British Columbia	6 metres around all doorways, air intakes and open windows of public places and workplaces
Saskatchewan	3 metres (10 feet) from doorways, windows and air intakes of enclosed public places
Nunavut	9 metres around any entrance or exit of a building
Ontario	9 metres around bar and restaurant patios, and around any entrance or exit of hospitals, long-term care and similar health facilities; 20 metres around school grounds, children’s playgrounds, publicly owned sports areas and community recreation facilities. No general doorway distance on the page
Manitoba	8 metres from outdoor entrances to City of Winnipeg and Winnipeg Regional Health Authority workplaces; no general province-wide doorway distance stated

We did not reach an official page that states a doorway distance for Alberta, Quebec, the Atlantic provinces or the other territories, so we give none for them.

How the rule works in practice

British Columbia. The buffer is part of the province’s rules for public places and workplaces. Owners and managers must take reasonable steps to prevent smoking in the buffer on their property, but they do not have to enforce it on public sidewalks against people who are not customers, patrons or employees. In multi-unit buildings, the same 6 metres applies to doors, open windows and air intakes that connect to common areas such as lobbies, laundry rooms and hallways.

Saskatchewan. The 3-metre rule covers smoking, holding lit tobacco and vaping. The province’s page names Tobacco Enforcement Officers as enforcing the public-place rules, though it does not say who handles the 3-metre rule specifically.

Ontario. The 9 metres is tied to places: patios and health facilities. The page names health-facility doors but states no distance for other doors. School grounds and playgrounds carry the larger 20-metre zone.

Nunavut. The broadest of the five: a 9 metre buffer around any entrance or exit.

Cities can go further

Municipal bylaws often set their own distances for entrances, transit stops and parks. B.C.’s page says plainly that where a municipal rule is stricter, you must follow it. The rules-by-city database collects city bylaws, and the broader outdoor picture is in outdoor smoking bans in Canada.

If you manage a building or workplace

Signs help, but responsibility depends on the province. B.C. puts a duty on owners and managers within their property. Employers in any province should also read the workplace smoking rules. For penalties if the rule is broken, see fines for smoking in prohibited places.

Why distance rules exist

Health Canada says there is no safe level of second-hand smoke exposure. The evidence is summarized in secondhand smoke health effects.