Off Highway Vehicles Bylaw

Ghost Lake, Alberta

This is the exact embedded text of the captured official document. Snapshot b1c348cfd089 · verified 2026-06-08 · original document · archived snapshot · unofficial consolidation, the official version is held by the municipal clerk.

BYLAU NO. 119 Being a By-Iaw of the Summer Village of Ghost Lake, in the Province of Alberta, to regulate and control the operation of 0ff-Highway Vehicles in the Summer Villaqe. WHEREAS pursuant to section 18 of the 0ff-Highway Vehicles Act, being chapter 0-4 of tlre Revised statutes of Alberta, 1990, a councir may by bylaw with respect to highrvays under its direction, control and management, authorlze persons to operate off-highway vehicres on any portion of any such highways, may restrict the hours ciuring which that operation may take place, and -subject to the maximum rates of speed prescrlbed for the highways under the Highway Traffic Act, prescribe maximum and minimum rates of speed for off-highway vehicies; AND WHEREAS pursuant to section 160 of the Municipar Government Act, being chapter M-25 of the Revised statutes of Alberta, 1980, a council. may also pasi oylaws for the purpose of prohibiting, eliminating or abating noi-se, in arr or a designated location of the municiparity and for the purpose of protecting rife and property; AND I}IEREAS the Council of The Suminer ViIIage of Ghost Lake deems it advisable to pass a bylaw authorizing persons to operate off-highway vehicles on certain highways witl'rin the municiparity during certain hours, regurating the speed at which such off-highway vehicles may be operated, controlling the noise emanatlng from the operation of such vehicles, and protecting life and property from th6 hazards inherent in the operation of such vehicles; NOY TrlEREFortE, the Council of The summer Village of Ghost Lake, duly assembled, enacts as follows: SECTION I IITLE: a) This Dylaw may be cited as the "0ff-Highway Vehicles Bylawil. SECTION II - DEFINITIONS: In this bylaw, (a) rrCouncilrr means the Councll of The Summer Village of Ghost Lake; (b) "Highway" means a highway as defined in the Highway Traffic Act of the Revised Statutes of AIberta, 1980; (c) "0ff-Highway Vehiclet! rneans any motorized vehicle designated for cross -country travel on land, water, snow, ice, marsh or snamp land on any other natural terrai.n and, without llmiting the generality of the foregoing, includes, when designated for such travel, i) 4-wheel drive or low pressure tire vehicles, ii) motor cycles and related 2-wheel vehlcLes, iii) amphibious machines, iv) all terrain vehicles, v) miniature motor vehicles. vi ) snow vehicles, vii) mini-bikes, and viii) any other means of transportation which is propelled by any potver other than muscular power or wind, but does not include ix) motor boats; I'Night Time" means following sunrise; ( d ) that period commencing at sunset and ending the - 2 - (e) ]9pg1g!g" means running the engine of or the act off-highway vehicle; of driving an (f) 'rQPel+tor" means a person who drives or is in physical contro.L of an off-highway vehicle; (s) rr0wnerrt includes a person to whom a certificate of registration has be6--llsued under the Off-Hiohway vehicre Act, and also incrudes a person renting an off-highway-vehicre o" huuing t]re excrusive use of that vehicre under a l-else or otherwise for i period of more than thirty (30) days. (h) "Public Lards' means atr land within the corporate limlts of the SGii6F-vifiile wnicn ir o*n"o bv the summer Virrage, or which is otherwise under the direction or contror of the counci.l of the summer Virrage, whether such rand is rmproved in whore or in part, or remains in its natural state, but does not include those hlghways which are identified on the Schedule which is attached to inis bylaw; (i) 'rPetmitted Area, means: tl,, the roadway of those highways within the sumrner Village which are identifled on the Schedule attdched to this bylaw; and (ii) pubric Lands when used solely ro" tn" pJ"potuu set forth in Seetion III(a)(i) a n d ( i t ) e 1 - 1 1 - , 1 , b y l a w i - - ' (j) 'jRgsidencgl r"al:.the private property within the summer Village where a person is residing, staying or vlsitlng; (k) rrRoadwav' means that part of a htghway within the summer Virrage IntendEt-for use by a vehicle; (r) r'summer villgqg- means The summer Village of Ghost Lake, in the 61ffi8-T-Ai6Erta, and "ihe- corporate rimits thereof or the body corporate known as the Sunmer Virlage of Ghost Lake, as the context requi res ; (m) 'rVehicrerr means a vehicre as defined in the Highway Traffic Act of the REE6,JTIatutes of Alberta, 19g0. SECTION I]I - GENERAL PROHIBITIONS (a) No person shall operate an off-highway vehicle upon any public rands within the sumrner village. Thrs -pronrbition sharr not extend to a person wno operates an off-highway vehicle on public lands: (i) solery for the pr"pose oi servicing u'dJwithln the waters of Ghost Lake, or launching a boal into or removing a boat from the waters of Ghost Lake: (ii) solely f9r tl,-e purpose.of performtng work for, or performing work on behalf of the summer Virragi as authorized'from timJ to time by the Council: or (iii) sorery tor tne purpose of gaining access to, and reaving the frozen waters of Ghost Lake by wly of the boat raunch 'n the schedule attached to this bylaw. (b) No person sharl operate an off-highway vehiere at a speed in excess of sixteen (161 6i1o*"ares per hour anywhere within the bummer Village. (c) No person sharr operate an off-nighway vehicre anywhere within the summer Virlage between the hours oi toioo p.*. on any day and .10:00 a.m. on the following day. (d) iitotwithsban,Cing the subsection (c), no person shall operate an off_ highway vehicle anywhere in the summer vitrugu ouri.ng night time or whe^ unfavorabre atmospheric conditions are srlch that the off-highway vehicle is not clearly visible at a distance of sixiy (50) metres. {e) No person shalr operate an off-highway vehicre anywhere in the sunrmer vilraqe rvhich is not equipped with an exhaust muffler consisting of a series of pipes or chambers which ensures that the exhaust gases frorn the engine are^cooled- and expelled without excessive noise and without the emission of any flame or sparks. - 3 - (f) No person shall operate an off-highway vehicle anywhere in the Summer ViIIage when the muffler with which the vehicle is required to be equipped (i) is cut out or disconnected from the engine, or (ii) has had a baffle plate or other part removed, or (iii) has been altered by opening or widening the exhaust outlet, or (iv) has been altered by attaching an attachment or device (1) which increases the noise of the expulsion of the gases from the enEine, or (2) allows a flame to be ignited from the exhaust system. (S) Notwithstanding the subsections (e) and (f), in the operation of an off-highway vehicle anywhere in the Summer Village, no person shall make, continue or cause or allow to be made or continued any loud, un- necessary or unusual nolse, or any noise whatsoever which annoys, disturbs, injures, endangers or detracts from the comfort, repose, health, peace or safety of other persons in the Summer Village. SECTION IV - OPERATION OF OFF.HIGHWAY VEHICLES ON HIGHWAYS: Subject to the Regulations which follow in Section V off-highway vehicles may be operated on the roadway of those highways within the Summer Village which are identified on the Schedule attached to this bvlaw. SECTION V - REGULATIONS: (a) No person shalI operate an off-highway vehicle on a highway in the Summer Village unless he is authorlzed to do so under the 0ff-Highway Vehicles Act and the Motor Vehicle Administratlon Act, and without in any way limiting the generality of the foregoing: (i) a person operating the off-highway vehicle must hold a valid operatorrs Iicense or be otherwlse authorized to operate a motor vehicle under the Motor Vehicle Administratlon Act; and, (ii) the off-highway vehicle must be licensed and insured ln compliance with the provislons of the 0ff-Highway Vehicles Act. (b) No person shall operate an off-highway highway that is not the roadway. (c) Every operator of an off-highway vehicle to every vehicle and pedestrian uslng the observe aIl laws, regulations and bylaws vehicle on a hlghway. SECTION VI - PERMITTED AREA USE: vehicle on any part of a sirall yield the right-of-way roadway, and shall otherwise governing the operatlon of a (a) An operator risk. (b) The Summer suitable for of an off-highway vehicle uses permitted areas at his own ViIIage does not warrant any permitted area as being off-highway vehicle use. SECTION VII - VOLUNTARY FINES: (a) Where a Peace 0fficer, Special Constable, Bylaw Enforcement 0fficer or other person authorized to carry out the provislons of this bylaw believes that any person has contravened any provisions of this bylaw he may serve upon such person a notice or form having printed wording approved by the Council. This notice or f,orm shall state the section of the bylaw which was contravened and the amount which wiII be accepted by the Summer Village in lieu of prosecution, which shall be Twenty-Five Dollars ($25 . 0 U ) . b) Service of any notice or form shall be sufficient if it is i) Personally served, ii) Served by mail, iii) Left nith an adult person who resides at the residence where the person who is alleged to have comrnitted such offence resides, - + - Upon production of the notice of form issued, pursuant to this Section, within ten (10) consecutive days fronr the date of i_ssuance, together with paymer-it, to the Summer Village Office, of the fee as provided in subsection (a), the person to whom the notice or form was issued shall not be liable for prosecution for the contravention in respecc of which the notice or form was issueo. Notwithstanding the provisions of this Section, a person to whom a notice or form has been issued pursuant to this section may exercise his right to defend any charge of committing a contravention of any of the provisions of this bylarv. SECTION VIII OFFENCESPENALTIES AND PROSECUTIONS: (a) Every person who contravenes this bylaw ls guilty of an offence and liable on summary conviction i) for a firsb offence to a fine of not more than Fifty Dollars ($50.00) and in default of payment to imprisonment for a term of not more than thirty (30) days, and ii) for a second or subsequent offence to a fine of not more than One i-lundred Dollars (5100.00) and in default of payment to imprisonment for a term of not more than sixty (60) days. (b) Ihe owner of an off-highway vehicle that is involved in a contravention of this bylaw ls guilty of an offence unless he proves to the satisfaction of the Judge that at the time of the contravention the off*highway vehicle was not being operated by him or by any other person with his consent, expressed or implied. (c) In any prosecution under this bylaw, a certificate purporting to be signed by a meteorologist and stating the time of sunrise and the time of sunset in or about the area of the Summer Vlllage shall be admitted in evidence as prima facie proof of the facts stated in the certificate, without proof of the signature or qualifications of the person signlng the certificate. (d) What is a loud noise, an unnecessary noise, an unusual noise, or a noise which annoys, disturbs, inJures or endangers the comfort, repose, health, peace or safety of other persons is a questlon of fact for a Court which hears the prosecution of an offence under this bylaw. SECT]ON IX - EFFECTIVE DATE: (a) This bylaw shall come into effect on the date of final passing thereof. READ a first time this READ a second time this day of June 1987 . 1 0th day of 3une , 1 9 8 7 . ( c ) ( d ) 1 0th READ a tlrird and final time this and passed by a majority consent 10th dav of Council. o f June 1987 , , / / " [J/.!.rt4 MAYOR SCBUDULE TO BYLAI.I 1I9 OF TUE SU}OIER VILLAGE OF GHOST I.trKE : '; t 9 o @ z I "il.-/l 9 o O Z '"or^\4l X ".r ; 1 - r'o- ? x o : a o f ; * o o - o - \ . \ \. : \ \ . : \ i s / * o \ a-l--\r o G ',t - < \ . / +-/t- . ' o . / - ( . - ! % i -*. o I (