It’s the end of a circus era in Windsor.
On Monday, city council agreed to ban animals from performing acts in circuses.
It's the second time in 15-years the city has debated the issue. Back in 2002, council passed a bylaw that attempted to ban exotic animal performances throughout the city. It was challenged on several grounds including that the performance of animals in circuses was constitutionally protected form of freedom of expression.
The city's proposed bylaw was eventually overturned.
Ward 1 resident Steve Palombo attended the council meeting with a small group calling for the ban. He says council made the right decision.
"It's a step in the direction everyone else is taking and at the end of the day, it's just right. I do agree with them there is some potential costs involved if there are legal situations but sometimes you just have to do what's right."
He says he has never been to the circus, but that animals need to be treated right.
"I have kids and I have a lot of friends who have kids and none of them would go to a circus, and Cirque du Soleil is kind of like the big deal now a days,” says Palombo. “It's 2017 and this is just how things are going. We have to kind of evolve."
The vote to ban the acts was 6-4. According to a city report, nine municipalities in Ontario have full or partial bans in place.