Off-road vehicle enthusiasts in Chatham-Kent can expect some more freedom starting next month.
Chatham-Kent council agreed in principle on Monday to a series of changes to the off-road vehicle by-law for all of Chatham-Kent, excluding the Chatham city limits. The by-law will have a trial period of one year and will be re-evaluated at that time.
East Kent Coun. Steve Pinsonneault, who brought forward the motion, said he believes there are many benefits to changing the by-law.
“In the report it states that expanding the use of ATV’s in some cases can provide some benefit to local tourism and recreation,” he said. “This is where we need to get economic development started. We can’t wait around for the next big convention to come to the Bradley Centre. This has no cost and it will bring economic dollars. Every weekend we see trailers loaded with ATV’s going out of communities, spending money.”
Pinsonneault said he doesn’t believe changing the by-law will result in increased injuries or deaths.
“Our local police chief has expressed that opening up this by-law will lead to increased issues, including injuries and death,” he said. “I have nothing but the utmost respect for our local police service, however, we are not reinventing the wheel here. Ontario Provincial Police have been working with this type of by-law in Northern Ontario for a long time. As far as injury and death are concern, it can be found in any form of transportation found in the word today.”
Also included in the by-law will be a condition that will allow all of Chatham-Kent, including the Chatham city limits, to run ATV’s for the purpose of plowing snow from November 1 to March 31 and during the times of 7 a.m. to 11 p.m.
The new Chatham-Kent by-law will allow different classes of ATV’s on C-K roads as well, same as the new regulations put forward by the Province of Ontario.
Drivers and passengers of ATVs will be subject to the provincial regulations of the Off-Road Vehicle Act. Some of these regulations include:
– Vehicles must be insured and registered.
– Vehicle operators must be at least 16 years of age.
– Vehicle operators must hold at least a valid G2 or M2 licence.
– All riders must wear an approved motorcycle helmet, and, if applicable, a seat belt.
– The vehicles must operate on the shoulder of the road and travel in the same direction as traffic.
– Vehicles are only allowed onto the road when there is no shoulder.
– The speed limit is 20 km/h on roads where the posted limit is 50 km/h or less.
– The speed limit is 50 km/h when the posted speed limit is more than 50 km/h.
– ATV drivers will still need the permission of the owner to ride on private property.
North Kent Coun. Leon Leclair said passing this by-law opens up all kinds of private property and liability concerns.
“My concern is you are driving on the side of a road and you get kind of bored,” he said. “So once you are bored after 15 minutes you are going to the nearest opening which could be an open field.”
Wallaceburg Coun. Jeff Wesley said people who trespass on people’s property is a policing matter.
“Something like this is for those people who are going to obey and be responsible owners and operators,” he said. “We have people with boats who traverse our rivers, lakes and bays and they do so responsibly. You need to have the knowledge and the wherewithal to know where they are going and where not to go. We have people who snowmobile. Same thing. You have to have the wherewithal and common sense to know where to go and where not to go. This also applies to ATV’s. There is people out there and they do so responsibly and this is who this is geared to.”
Wesley added: “The thing that sells me on it is the one year trial period, because I am willing to give it a year and then we will take a good look at it and we may need changes.”
Mayor Randy Hope was not in support of changing the by-law.
Hope said when looking at Mitchell’s Bay and Erieau, where ATV’s have been used on roads during ice fishing season, it is a very controlled environment.
“We are able to analyze it and come out with a conclusion,” Hope said. “We are talking about a one year sample throughout the whole Municipality. Good luck trying to figure that one out. How do you examine something that is 2,400 square km’s and 3,353 km of roadway. I am not getting a lot of people breathing down my neck. If in a year from now we start to pick up some momentum in the communities that are talking about it, than let’s examine it from a community driven initiative.”
Council will vote on the final by-law, when staff presents a report at the November 9 council meeting.
