Good Neighbour Bylaw 871, 2021

This page was last updated on October 12, 2022.

The Good Neighbour Bylaw is a consolidation and modernization of four existing District bylaws, including:

1. Unsightly Premises Bylaw No. 414, 1991
2. Noise Control Bylaw No. 198, 1982
3. Outdoor Water Conservation Bylaw No. 769, 2015
4. Loitering and Public Nuisances Control Bylaw No. 658, 2005.

By consolidating these bylaws, we can make it easier for the community to understand the applicable rules and regulations and make it easier for our Bylaw Enforcement Officers to work with property owners and occupiers to ensure the rules are respected.

Council gave third reading to the Good Neighbour Bylaw on October 11, 2022, which is scheduled for consideration of adoption at the October 24, 2022 council meeting. This bylaw was first presented for public review and feedback in the summer of 2022 via an extensive public engagement period. Your comments and questions focused on two primary topics, which were incorporated into the bylaw by staff before its third reading. Before the bylaw is presented to council for adoption on October 24, we want to be sure that we address these two key topics (and provide another opportunity for further input):

Key Topic #1: Circumstances under which a Bylaw Enforcement Officer may enter private property.

• The Explanation:
  • Not much has changed – we simply modernized the language to reflect what is permitted according to the Community Charter, which already exists in the current bylaws.
  • According to the Good Neighbour Bylaw, a Bylaw Enforcement Officer can only enter a yard at reasonable times and after taking steps to notify the owner or occupier. A Bylaw Enforcement Officer may be able to enter a private dwelling, but only if one of the following applies:
    • the occupier gives permission; or,
    • the District has given the occupier at least 72 hours' written notice of the entry and the reasons for it;
    • the entry is made under the authority of a warrant under the Community Charter or another Act; or
    • there is reason to believe there is a significant risk to the health or safety of the occupier or other persons.
  • We take your privacy seriously and understand that you may be concerned with Bylaw staff entering your property. In fact, we hope there is never a situation in which we need to utilize or enforce this section of the bylaw and intend to do so only in rare cases where it is absolutely necessary.

Key Topic #2: Clarity around the purpose of the Good Neighbour Bylaw and the existing bylaws that it replaces.

• The Explanation:
  • This bylaw is a consolidation and modernization of four of Elkford’s existing bylaws: the Unsightly Premises Bylaw, the Noise Control Bylaw, the Outdoor Water Conservation Bylaw and the Loitering and Public Nuisances Bylaw. These four existing bylaws have all been combined into a single new bylaw (the Good Neighbour Bylaw) that uses modernized language and sets well-defined rules for our neighbourhoods relating to standards of property care and conduct.

The proposed Good Neighbour Bylaw is available for review by using the link under "Read the Draft Bylaw and Staff Report" on this page. If you have any concerns with the proposed bylaw, please provide a record of concern before October 24 by contacting the District Office at 250.865.4000, info@elkford.ca, or in person at 744 Fording Drive during regular business hours.

The content below was posted in July, 2022.

“Anyone can buy a good house, but good neighbours are priceless.” – Chinese Proverb

The District of Elkford is considering a new bylaw that sets clear rules for our neighbourhoods relating to standards of property care and conduct. Over the past two years, we have been working hard to improve our bylaw education and enforcement. When this is done effectively, it helps to ensure that everyone has a clear understanding of the rules and expectations for being a good neighbour.

What is it? The proposed Good Neighbour Bylaw would replace four of Elkford’s existing bylaws: the bylaws for unsightly premises, noise control, outdoor water conservation and loitering and public nuisance.

A few highlights of the new bylaw include:

• More specific definitions of unsightly premises and the storage of materials around a property
• The maintenance of fences and buildings on a property
• The maintenance of plants and vegetation around a property

Do you live in Elkford? We want your feedback on this proposed bylaw! What do you think it gets right? What does it get wrong? What other suggestions do you have? We encourage you to complete the feedback form below before the deadline of 4:30 p.m. on August 1, 2022. The engagement period runs from June 28 until August 1. Once all feedback is received, staff will review and make changes to the bylaw to reflect the community's input before presenting it to council in August.

If you have specific questions about the words or phrasing of this bylaw please contact Director of Planning & Development Services, Jeremy Johnston at jjohnston@elkford.ca.