The township is making plans to go it alone on a proposal to regulate the use of ATVs on local roadways.
As previous efforts to come up with a county, or north Wellington solution haven’t borne fruit, Mapleton is planning to create a local bylaw regulating use of recreational vehicles on township roads and property.
“It seems we’re the only … municipality in northern Wellington County that wants to take the bull by the horns,” said Mayor Neil Driscoll during an April 24 review of a report on potential ATV regulation from CAO Manny Baron.
In the report, Baron explained that since the summer of 2017, the township has been exploring the idea of implementing an ATV bylaw.
“In researching several bylaws, they seem to have the ultimate goal of permitting the operation of all-terrain vehicles on municipal highways within their municipalities,” Baron states.
The report points out the Highway Traffic Act, along with the Off-Road Vehicles Act and some bylaws, impose a number of conditions and rules for all-terrain vehicle users, including restrictions on speed and time-of-day and time-of-year usage, as well as equipment requirements.
“In exploring a number of bylaws, the question ‘What are we trying to achieve?’ should be asked,” Baron explained.
“Are we trying to limit the use of ATVs? Are we trying to encourage their use, or trying to keep them off the municipal lands?
“An open discussion should be had to firm up what we would like to see included in the bylaw, what restrictions council would like to have included and does this warrant a public meeting.”
Baron added any bylaw should be crafted in such a way that it is enforceable by the township or the OPP.
While indicating he was glad to see the report, councillor Michael Martin said, “I kind of lament the fact that we even need an ATV bylaw to be honest …
“We’ve survived for 40, 50 years or however long ATVs have been around without one and, you know, good basic human courtesy and common sense, we haven’t really needed one, right?
“But with our growth over the past bunch of years, it brings along other problems.”
Councillor Lori Woodham asked if it would be possible to keep the bylaw as simple as keeping the vehicles off local trails.
“Since we are agricultural-based, I don’t want to prohibit a farmer (from) being able to use an ATV to go from one farm to another,” said Woodham, noting such a regulation could lead to problems identifying legitimate farm use.
“Farm use is already covered in the Highway Traffic Act,” councillor Marlene Ottens pointed out. “They’re allowed to use them on municipal roads.”
Ottens added she spoke with Mapleton ATV users at an April 11 ATV awareness night in Aboyne hosted by the Wellington OPP and Wellington County Farm and Home Safety Association.
She said the local users were in favour of the township taking action.
“They thought it was a great idea for Mapleton to do something,” said Ottens.
“Our goal here is so that the confusion ends and I think that’s the problem … what’s allowed, what’s not.”
Ottens stressed any township regulations “should completely ban them from our parks, our Sports fields, our trails, because right now people don’t know where they can go and where they can’t.”
Ottens asked if a public meeting would be held.
“Once we create the bylaw, if we see enough interest we can possibly look at a public meeting,” replied Mayor Neil Driscoll.
“I just hesitate to go to the time of organizing a public meeting with the lack of attendance that we’ve had.”
Council directed staff to investigate the crafting of a draft bylaw and to bring back a report addressing issues such as definitions, enforcement and communication to the public.
