Chatham-Kent council will – once again – be voting on a freshly revised ATV bylaw for the community.
Staff is recommending that the new bylaw, which will permit and regulate the use of off-road vehicles on Highways in Chatham-Kent, be approved and implemented at the regular council meeting tonight (March 7) in Chatham.
“The big day has arrived,” said Vince Masse, the founder of the Chatham-Kent ATV Club.
“The Chatham-Kent ATV bylaw is in the hands of council to decide whether or not we’re going to ride the backroads legally.”
The new bylaw will include some restrictions, including:
– No machines allowed on major highways or high traffic roads
– No access to Chatham or towns throughout C-K
– ATVs can only be driven on public property between half an hour after sunrise and a half an hour before sunset
After voting down the bylaw back in November, council voted to revisit the issue in a separate vote in December.
“I originally didn’t support the bylaw,” said Chatham Coun. Darrin Canniff, who brought the motion back on the table. “For a lot of the reason we brought up in the discussions… I think safety was a big one. Safety for the ATV drivers and safety for the general public. We need to address that and make sure that is dealt with in any bylaw we put forward.”
Canniff added: “We need to look at options to eliminate/reduce the liability to Chatham-Kent and to everyone. The whole idea of this bylaw is not to trample over the rights of land owners, the question is will they do it anyway, with or without the bylaw. The idea of the bylaw is something that allows law-abiding citizens a way to do it legally.”
Masse told the Sydenham Current in February the main goal of the ATV club is to educate people on how to ride safely.
“If this bylaw goes through, we have already got contacts with an ATV safety riding trainer who is certified with Ontario,” he said.
“The thing we will be promoting, of course, is safe riding, no trespassing, respect the land, respect the law. There is always one bad apple, no matter what it is. Whether it be someone in a car or a motorcycle. Our goal is to try and educate the majority to respect this bylaw if we get it passed so that it is something we can keep forever.”
Watch for a follow-up story on the issue.
