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Niagara Falls
Wednesday, March 27, 2024
New parks bylaw will ban drinking, BBQs

Niagara-on-the-Lake is getting a parks bylaw.

The draft bylaw, presented to the committee of the whole on Monday, is based on bylaws used by many other municipalities across the province, said director of operations Sheldon Randall.

New rules include most parks closing by 10 p.m., no drinking in parks and no fires of any kind, including cooking fires.

Coun. Clare Cameron also asked if the bylaw could be more strict on metal detecting in the park by increasing the $75 fine.

Coun. Erwin Wiens pointed out Premier Doug Ford said there’s no problem with drinking in parks.

“I personally witnessed our premier last summer, so what’s wrong with having a few pops in the park,” Wiens said. “And here we have a bylaw that now says (it isn’t allowed),” Wiens warned councillors.

Coun. Allan Bisback raised concerns about NOTL’s ongoing problem with enforcement and questioned how these new laws would be enforced, especially on busy weekends.

Randall said last summer barbecuing in parks prompted a lot of complaints, but without a bylaw, the town couldn’t enforce anything.

“Now our park staff, with this new bylaw will be able to enforce that,” he said, adding that if there was trouble, it’s likely police would be called.

Wiens took issue with the ban on barbecues.

“The last thing is just on a personal note. I’ve never felt that having a hibachi, or a small barbecue in a park is a bad thing,” he said.

He added he’s talked to fire chief Nick Ruller about it and there have been no fire incidents related to barbecues.

Aside from that, he supported the bylaw.

“It’s a very well written bylaw and it does give a lot of teeth for our bylaw officers.”

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