Parks Bylaw Review and Update

Parkland County’s Parks Bylaw governs the use of nine developed day use park sites, Meridian Sports Park, as well as any undeveloped lands labelled as reserve, municipal reserve or environmental reserve.  Lands not owned by the county but under the care and control of the county by agreement would also fall under the guidelines set out in this bylaw.

Previously, Parkland County used two bylaws, Parks Bylaw 44-2002 and Environmental Reserve Bylaw 26-98, as tool to govern use of County park land.  The revised Parks Bylaw will replace both of these former bylaws.  

The purpose of the Parks Bylaw is to set manageable guidelines for the conduct and activities of park users. It encourages reasonable use of park property and promotes a safe, enjoyable atmosphere for everyone wishing to use Parkland County’s parks. You may continue to enjoy park land as you always have. The bylaw simply helps guide you in making decisions about your activities that will protect county property, address health and safety issues, and allow for enjoyment and preservation of our park areas. Because the Bylaw is a rulebook, the rules primarily focus on those activities that individuals can’t do on parkland, or where individuals may need permission for various types of activities. These rules are written in a way to ensure the Bylaw maintains its legal integrity as an enforceable document.

What's new in the Parks Bylaw?

The majority of the guidelines set out in the Parks Bylaw have not changed; however there are some new revisions which have been added to address issues the County has been dealing with over the past number of years. The notable changes we would like to bring to your attention and get feedback on are:

• No residential dumping will be allowed in our parks.  This is something that is a regular issue for Parkland County, but was an activity not prohibited under the current bylaw.

• Gatherings over 50 people require permission from Parkland County.  We are finding our park areas used more and more for weddings, school programs, cross country races, etc. By instituting this requirement County staff can better manage resources and potential issues.  If we know they are coming we can ensure site is ready – garbage’s emptied, bathrooms cleaned and stocked; as well as advising the group on site use such that access by spontaneous users is not be impacted.

• Winter storage of boat lifts and docks will be permitted between October 1 and May 31 with certain conditions. This type of use is and has been occurring on parkland for site some time.  This puts some parameters in place to ensure access and use of these areas is not impacted.

• Park Hours will change to be open at 6 a.m. and close at 10 p.m., rather than the current 11 p.m. 

Click here to read the bylaw in full.

Next Steps

The Parks Bylaw will be presented to Council for their consideration and approval in the spring of 2013.

If you have any questions, please contact Parks, Recreation and Culture at 780-968-8400.