For over a decade, Sidney resident Leo Levasseur has been a vocal advocate for banning the sale of cigarettes in British Columbia drugstores, a practice already implemented across the rest of Canada.
His unwavering dedication stems from a personal connection: his father's struggle with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), a condition exacerbated by years of smoking.
According to a B.C. government website, tobacco use causes up to 6,000 deaths in the province each year, killing more people than all other drugs, motor vehicle collisions, murder, suicide and HIV/AIDS combined.
Six years ago, Levasseur stood outside a London Drugs on Quadra Street, holding a sign that read "Stop Selling Cigs," making his message clear to passersby.
He emphasizes that his protest isn't directed at specific stores, but rather at the policy maintained by pharmacy decision-makers.
With World No Tobacco Day approaching on May 31, Levasseur's commitment to his cause remains as resolute as it was when he first embarked on this mission 12 years ago.
"I'm kind of an anti-smoker kind of guy because my parents smoked when I was a kid," Levasseur explained. "Eventually they quit, but my dad, in the last four years of his life, had chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). He wasn't smoking, but he was on oxygen 24 hours a day, seven days a week."
His father passed away about three years ago, strengthening Levasseur's resolve.
"This is why I stay on top of this thing because this is my cause for him,” he said.
Levasseur's primary goal is to bring B.C. “into the 21st century” with the rest of Canada by banning the sale of tobacco in pharmacies and stores with pharmacies.
"Now that I'm retired, I've got a lot more time to spend on this, and they're going to hear from me… I’m gonna be a nasty pain in their you-know-what,” he stated.
He clarifies that his campaign is not a general "stop smoking" initiative, but rather a focused effort to remove cigarettes from environments where "you're supposed to be helping people get better."
Despite being the primary face of the campaign, Levasseur claims to have a substantial online following, with nearly 7,000 supporters backing his cause.
Recently, Levasseur sent an email to B.C. Minister of Health Josie Osborne, urging her to follow the lead of other provinces.
"It might interest you to know that the last Canadian province to halt cigarette sales in drugstores was Manitoba, way back in 2013," he wrote.
"All of which brings up the question, why hasn’t B.C. done anything about this?"
He included a link to the tobacco legislation of all Canadian provinces and territories in his letter.
As of this writing, Levasseur has not received a reply from the health ministry, a pattern he says has persisted throughout his 12-year-long campaign.
If necessary, Levasseur hopes to meet with Osborne personally to convey his message directly.
"I'm Leo. You know who I am. I wrote you a letter. Why are you not doing something about this?” he would ask.
In a 2019 interview with Peninsula News Review, London Drugs president and chief operating officer Clint Mahlman acknowledged Levasseur's cause, though he stated he had never been in direct contact with him.
Levasseur confirmed that he has not reached out to Mahlman this year.
Over the years, Levasseur has contacted London Drugs and local MLAs, with one even suggesting that "pop and chips are more addictive than cigarettes."
"I'm getting more and more frustrated, and as you can see, I've been at this for a long time, but I'm not giving up," Levasseur affirmed.
As he spoke, his phone lit up with a photo of his late father, Lucien.
Levasseur paused, reflecting on his inspiration, and simply said, "That's my dad."
