The wording of a new noise bylaw in Fort Macleod, Alta. has some residents puzzled.
Donald Gray, for instance, believes he can no longer drive closer than 150 metres to the local hospital.
“I’m confused,” Gray told Global News on Wednesday.
The bylaw, passed by Fort Macleod town council on Jan. 22, states: “no person shall operate a combustion engine… in a hospital zone at any time.”
It also imposes overnight restrictions for operating a combustion engine in residential areas on weeknights, Sundays and holidays.
This has Gray worried because the majority of vehicles on the road use combustion engines.
“I live down the street (from the hospital),” Gray said. “If I jump in my car, I can maybe go a block and then I’m going to have to walk in, or be carried in for the rest of the way to get emergency services.”
We asked the town is that’s actually the case.
“We would never stop people from driving through a hospital zone,” peace officer supervisor Scott Donselaar said.
“But if they were… trying to draw attention to themselves through the use of their noise, that’s where those offences usually come into place.”
Donselaar said the bylaw was thoroughly vetted by lawyers. He said the part prohibiting people from operating a combustion engine is not aimed at motor vehicles.
“Combustion engine is basically just a catch all so they don’t have to have an itemized list of all those types of gas-powered engines or diesel-powered engines.”
Gray is relieved to know he can legally drive to the hospital, but would still like the bylaw to be more specific.
“Why would you have that in a bylaw if it isn’t going to be enforced?” he asked.
The wording of the bylaw also appears to prohibit actions such as yelling and mowing your lawn at all times in a hospital zone. Donselaar told Global News that is not the case.
Fort Macleod Mayor Brent Feyter told Global News there are no plans to reword the bylaw.
Noise regulation bylaw in Fort Macleod by Anonymous TdomnV9OD4 on Scribd
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