Photo by Vince Fedoroff
Left: SAFETY CONCERNS – Keith Lay told city council Monday its proposed snowmobile bylaw fails to address some significant safety issues. Right: BUFFER NEEDED – Dorothy Lebel says snowmobiles should not be allowed in residential areas.
The city's snowmobile bylaw is seriously inadequate, city council heard at its meeting Monday night.
The city's snowmobile bylaw is seriously inadequate, city council heard at its meeting Monday night.
Council was told in presentations from two local residents the bylaw does not provide adequate safety measures. Nor does it protect the rights of residents to a quiet neighbourhood, council was told.
Keith Lay pointed out that under the law, children riding in vehicles must be strapped into a car seat until the age of seven, even though they're surrounded by the sturdy protection of today's vehicles.
But yet the draft bylaw currently under review by city council does not stipulate any safety measures for children of any age riding on snowmachines, he pointed out.
Lay said national safety organizations have shown children under six cannot be safely transported on snowmachines.
"Bylaws are in part created to protect public health and this bylaw needs to have an age factor,” he said.
Lay said the bylaw also needs to prohibit towing toboggans or sleds with a rope. The practice is both dangerous for the individual or individuals on the toboggan and for pedestrians, he said.
It's one thing for pedestrians to stay clear of snowmobiles while out walking on trails, but it's entirely another to have to dodge ropes and toboggans, he said.
The city has been engaged since June 2010 in the review of the snowmobile bylaw, which was originally adopted in 1972.
It is also reviewing its bylaw governing the use of all-terrain vehicles in the city. The ATV bylaw was adopted in 1990.
It's expected the final draft of the snowmobile bylaw will be before city council in January to begin the official bylaw process, which includes a public hearing.
The debate over the snowmobile bylaw has covered a wide range of topics, from safety issues to the right to enjoy a quiet walk in the wilderness versus the right to enjoy the use of recreational vehicles.
The use of motorized vehicles is prohibited on some city trails and allowed on others.
Whitehorse resident Dorothy Level told city council Monday night it made a grave error by rejecting the recommendation in the snowmobile bylaw report that the machines not be allowed to drive within residential areas, including roadways.
Snowmachines, said Lebel, are loud and noisy, even when they're just idling.
She recalled how some council members have found it would be unreasonable to prohibit the use of snowmobiles on city streets and thereby force owners to transport their sleds to trailheads by trailer or truck.
"However, by allowing snowmobiles on streets, you're effectively allowing them through the whole residential area, including greenbelts,” Lebel insisted. "We're right back to the old bylaw, and hardly anything is resolved.”
She said snowmachines produce more noise and air pollution than the average car or SUV, and they tear up the trails, making it harder to walk or ski.
Nobody forces people to buy a snowmachine, so when somebody does, it becomes their responsibility to make sure they don't impact the neighbourhood, she said.
Lebel told council with the city's growing population, it's becoming more and more important to ensure low-impact use of the city's greenbelts and parks.
"We need non-motorized buffers around residential areas and throughout the urban containment area, as defined by the OCP (Official Community Plan),” she said.
"Other northern jurisdictions have done it: for example, Terrace, B.C., and Anchorage, Alaska.
"They don't allow snowmobiles on streets and have non-motorized buffers around residential and recreational areas.”
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Comments (14)
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brad on Dec 17, 2011 at 3:42 pm
If people want to snowmobile from their door they are going to even if the bylaw says they can't.... there are some people who no matter what you do won't listen, don't punish the respectful people. If you want to live in a city where people can't snowmobile from their doors than move somewhere they can't. Some of us have moved up here because they like it here the way it is, and others move up here and want it to change, but if you moved here and don't like it than either live with it or move.
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Randy Johnson on Dec 14, 2011 at 6:08 am
No Francias, a snowblower doesn't go 100km/h. But my sled does and then some! Open throttle on a frozen lake with the cold bitter wind making its way into my helmet. Good times. Good times!
Then there is the ride back to the house. Sometimes on the back roads. Sometimes on the clearly marked snowmobile trails. On the straight stretches have the throttle open again. Slow right down on the blind curves. After all I don't know what is on the other side of it. Is there a pedestrian? Is there a careless driver? Anything is possible.
Now into the residential areas. Going the same speed as the automobile traffic beside me. Trails are getting narrow and we're now going by houses. Slow down more. After all, kids could be playing in the nearby tree areas. Now the automobile traffic is going faster than me.
I am a courteous driver in my truck as well as on my sled. Even on snowmobile trails I pull off as much as possible and slow down as necessary when working with pedestrians on the trail.
The point is that if you have respect for your surroundings and others then it's expected to receive the same respect back.
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Billy Polson on Dec 13, 2011 at 2:02 pm
Francias...why would the fact they go 100km/h matter? The big peave by your minority is the noise and associated disturbance. You aren't on the thing, so no danger to you...oh they may hit you, right. This July you may be struck by lightning. If folks don't like snowmachines that doesn't mean those that do shouldn't be allowed to access public trails from their homes in Riverdale, Porter Creek, etc. There's lots of noise in residential areas, not just from snowmachines...I'd hate to get hit by a snowblower.
Let'er rip Francais, what do we know.
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River Rat on Dec 12, 2011 at 1:49 pm
Same old story, a few idiots are going to ruin it for the vast majority of Yukoners who are respectful of other people and their property.
You know what they say "you can't outlaw stupidity"!
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Francias Pillman on Dec 12, 2011 at 10:25 am
Hey Randy, a snow-blower doesn't go 100km/h
Up 1 Down 0
Randy Johnson on Dec 12, 2011 at 7:43 am
I have neighbours who drive their sleds straight from their yards and onto the trails. I can hear their sled go past my house. Then they are gone and along goes the noise.
I have other neighbours with snowblowers. I can hear them too from inside my house. The noise doesn't go away until they've completed their job. Sometimes for up to 30 minutes. Do I go nuts waiting for them to stop? No. It is a good reminder that I too should go outside and clean my driveway and sidewalks.
The same is true in the summer time only with lawn mowers.
Are those the next items to be attacked?
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John Calaghan on Dec 11, 2011 at 10:22 pm
I enjoy the young people on snowmobiles in the neighbourhood. The majority are courteous and well behaved and when going to the trails use restraint in their speeds. It is nice seeing someone out doing something instead of the pixel oriented activity. We were always active as kids whereas now they can be like ghosts in the neighborhood.
Some of the sleds are more noisy at times and that's fine, I am also tolerant of chain sawing on a Sunday morning which is much more prevalent.
Please give people more honour and respect than having to be regulated through every minute of their existence.
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anonymous on Dec 9, 2011 at 4:19 pm
The people that Dorothy and others are having trouble with are NOT going to be stopped by any law or bylaw. All this will do is hurt the people who already drive slow enough for enforcement to bother them. I own a fourwheeler and if I choose to drive on the side of the road to a trail, I will, bylaw or none and I do so and always will respectably.
Id like to add, these trails were not made by people walking. Nor will they be. The blunt but true fact is that IN WHITEHORSE, people walking/hiking did not through walking physically create even 1% of the trail network.
Its not realistic to expect an entire city to change based on the concerns of a minority with a minority point of view, I do not believe this to be democracy.
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Sledfamily on Dec 9, 2011 at 11:49 am
OMG! You mean after all the time, money and effort into study after study, meetings, interviews, questionnaires, proposals drafts etc… NOW you have a problem? A Fair compromise has been made, accept it and move on. Move onto more important things, homelessness in the City, or hungry kids at Christmas, or maybe go adopt a Cat from Mae Bachur.
Point is, you had your chance, so did the Sledders. We have to accept these changes on both sides put it into play. it's the way the system works, everyone doesn't get ALL they want ALL the time. Its all about compromise.
Merry Christmas and Happy Sledding!
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Anthony DeLorenzo on Dec 9, 2011 at 9:54 am
I don't own a snowmobile but I think that trails are for all of us to share responsibly, motorized and non-motorized alike.
Each neighborhood should have designated, signed motorized routes that would allow people to go through the buffer zone from their homes out onto the trails.
I'm happy to share trails with people on motorized vehicles, as long as we all agree to respect the land and each other. I have no problem with people passing behind my house on their way out to go ice fishing or trail riding.
We're all out there enjoying the Yukon winter. Let's respect the land, respect each other and share the trails.
Up 1 Down 0
Brice Carruthers on Dec 9, 2011 at 5:39 am
Why can't some seniors just enjoy retirement, instead of pushing an activist agenda to combat their boredom and increase their sense of self worth?
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YUKON RIDER on Dec 9, 2011 at 12:54 am
You all need to quit hating. I myself have helped people on the back trails; a jogger that sprained his ankle I gave a ride right to his door, also a couple out on mountain bikes, one with a flat tire. I had all the stuff to fix his tire, gave him my cell number and asked him to call when he got out safe so that I didn't just leave him there. He did phone, said thanks and was happy that myself and my friends were out there on 4 wheelers. So just be careful what you trail walkers ask for.
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northone on Dec 8, 2011 at 11:54 am
It seems like the agenda of a small but very vocal minority is prohibition of motorized recreation, and they hide behind safety and 'the right to peace and quiet' to advance their agenda.
Prohibiting snowmobiles from residential streets would require a huge investment in the form of developing parking areas at trail heads, which would result in more noise and disturbance than just letting people ride to the trails. Go to Anchorage and look at the snowmobile infrastructure they have - it's impressive but would be very costly to duplicate here.
Snowmobiles are part of our culture, but urban values are threatening our recreational opportunities. Time to speak out or the prohibitionists will dominate the agenda.
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M. Peltier on Dec 8, 2011 at 9:53 am
"We need non-motorized buffers around residential areas and throughout the urban containment area, as defined by the OCP (Official Community Plan),” she said.
"Other northern jurisdictions have done it: for example, Terrace, B.C., and Anchorage, Alaska.
"They don't allow snowmobiles on streets and have non-motorized buffers around residential and recreational areas.”
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YES!!! nothing else will be acceptable.
Without this provision any snowmachine bylaw will NOT be enforceable.
Do it right or don't do anything.