Noise Control Bylaw No. 3201, 2011 (Consolidated)

Nelson, British Columbia · adopted 2011-09-06

This is the exact embedded text of the captured official document. Snapshot a1a66544020d · verified 2026-08-23 · original document · archived snapshot · unofficial consolidation, the official version is held by the municipal clerk.

____________________________________________________________________________________________ The Corporation of the City of Nelson Page 1 of 8 Noise Control Bylaw No. 3201, 2011 SUMMARY: The Noise Control Bylaw is to regulate or prohibit the making or causing of noises or sounds in or on a highway or elsewhere in the Municipality which disturb, or tend to disturb, the quiet, peace, rest, enjoyment, comfort or convenience of the neighbourhood, or of persons in the vicinity, or which the Council believes are objectionable or liable to disturb the quiet, peace, rest, enjoyment, comfort or convenience of individuals or the public, and may make different regulations or prohibitions for different areas of the municipality; This bylaw is a "consolidated" version and includes amendments up to the date listed in the bylaw heading. It is placed on the Internet for convenience only, is not the official or legal version, and should not be used in place of certified copies which can be obtained though the Administration office at City Hall. Plans pictures, other graphics or text in the legal version may be missing or altered in this electronic version. ____________________________________________________________________________________________ The Corporation of the City of Nelson Page 2 of 8 Noise Control Bylaw No. 3201, 2011 THE CORPORATION OF THE CITY OF NELSON Noise Control Bylaw No. 3201, 2011 REVISED: July 9, 2012 BEING A BYLAW TO REGULATE NOISE WITHIN THE CITY OF NELSON ___________________________________________________________________ WHEREAS under the provisions of Part 2, Division 1 Section 6 (Purposes and Fundamental Powers) and Part 3, Division 10 Section 64(b) (Nuisances, disturbances and other objectionable situations) of the Community Charter a Municipality is empowered to enact a bylaw to regulate or prohibit the making or causing of noises or sounds in or on a highway or elsewhere in the Municipality which disturb, or tend to disturb, the quiet, peace, rest, enjoyment, comfort or convenience of the neighbourhood, or of persons in the vicinity, or which the Council believes are objectionable or liable to disturb the quiet, peace, rest, enjoyment, comfort or convenience of individuals or the public, and may make different regulations or prohibitions for different areas of the municipality; NOW THEREFORE the Council of the Corporation of the City of Nelson, in open meeting assembled, enacts as follows: DEFINITIONS 1. Words defined in the Motor Vehicle Act, being Chapter 288 of the Revised Statutes of British Columbia 1979, and in the Community Charter shall have the same meaning when used in this bylaw unless defined in this bylaw or unless the context otherwise requires. 2. In this bylaw: "Bylaw means persons acting as any of the following are Enforcement designated for the purposes of this Bylaw and the Act: Officer" a) Special constables, officers, members or constables of the Nelson Police Department; b) Bylaw Enforcement Officers appointed pursuant to the Police Act and Community Charter; Consolidated for Convenience to Include Bylaw No. 3238 ____________________________________________________________________________________________ The Corporation of the City of Nelson Page 3 of 8 Noise Control Bylaw No. 3201, 2011 c) Local Assists to the Fire Commissioner under Section 6 of the Fire Services Act; d) Bylaw Enforcement Officers, licensing inspectors, building inspectors, animal control officers or other persons acting in another capacity on behalf of a municipality, regional City or local trust committee for the purpose of enforcement of one or more of its Bylaws. "City" means the Corporation of the City of Nelson or the area within the boundaries thereof as the context may require; "Council" means the Municipal Council of The Corporation of the City of Nelson; "Construction" means any activity which includes erection, alteration, repair, relocation, dismantling, demolition, structural maintenance, painting, moving, land clearing, earth moving, grading, excavating, the laying of pipe and conduit (whether above or below ground level), street and highway building, concreting, equipment, installation and alteration, and the structural installation of construction components and materials in any form, or for any purpose, and includes any work being done in connection therewith; "Noise" includes any loud outcry, clamour, shouting or movement, or any sound that is loud or harsh or undesirable; "Person" includes any company, corporation, owner, partnership, firm, association, society or party; "Property" means real property and includes land, a highway, and every private place or passageway to which the public, for the purpose of the parking or servicing of vehicles, has access or is invited, together with all improvements which have been so affixed to the land as to make them in fact and in law a part thereof; ____________________________________________________________________________________________ The Corporation of the City of Nelson Page 4 of 8 Noise Control Bylaw No. 3201, 2011 "Statutory means New Year's Day, Good Friday, Easter Monday, Holiday" Victoria Day, Canada Day, British Columbia Day, Labour Day, Thanksgiving Day, Remembrance Day, Christmas Day, Boxing Day and any other holiday prescribed by regulation; GENERAL REGULATIONS 1. No person shall make or cause, or permit to be made or caused, any noise in or on a public or private place which disturbs or tends to disturb the quiet peace, rest, enjoyment, comfort, or convenience of any person or persons in the neighbourhood or vicinity. 2. No person being the owner, tenant, or occupier of real property shall allow or permit such real property to be used so that noise or sound which occurs thereon, or emanates there from, disturbs or tends to disturb, the quiet, peace, rest, enjoyment, comfort or convenience of any person or persons on the same piece of property or in the neighbourhood or vicinity. 3. No person shall play or operate any radio, stereophonic equipment or other instrument or any apparatus for the production or amplification of sound either in or on private premises or in any public place in such a manner as to disturb the quiet, peace, rest, enjoyment, comfort or convenience of the neighbourhood or of persons in the vicinity. 4. No person shall own, keep or harbour any animal or bird which by its cries unduly disturbs the peace, quiet, rest, enjoyment, comfort, convenience or tranquillity of the surrounding neighbourhood or the public at large. 5. No hawker, huckster, pedlar, newsvendor, or other person shall by his intermittent or reiterated cries disturb the quiet, peace, rest, enjoyment, comfort or convenience of individuals or the public. VEHICLE 6. No person shall operate a motor vehicle so as to create a nuisance by noise or sound emanating from the motor vehicle. ____________________________________________________________________________________________ The Corporation of the City of Nelson Page 5 of 8 Noise Control Bylaw No. 3201, 2011 CONSTRUCTION 7. No person in the City shall on any day before 07:00 hours or after 22:00 hours, construct, erect, reconstruct, alter, repair or demolish any building, structure or thing or excavate or fill in land in any manner which disturbs the quiet, peace, rest, enjoyment, comfort or convenience of the neighbourhood or of persons in the vicinity. 8. No person in the City shall for profit or gain on a Sunday (or Statutory Holiday), construct, erect, reconstruct, alter, repair or demolish any building or thing, or excavate or fill in land in any manner which disturbs the quiet, peace, rest, enjoyment, comfort or convenience of the neighbourhood or of persons in the vicinity. 9. Where it is impossible or impractical to comply with this section, the Director of Engineering and Operations may give written approval to carry on the work that is found to be necessary at designated hours. 10. Responsibility for obtaining written approval lies with the person carrying on the work. OTHER 11. No person shall operate any outdoor public address system in the City without first having obtained a permit therefore. 12. No person shall operate a snow vehicle, motorboat or motorcycle which makes or causes noise. 13. Notwithstanding any provisions of this bylaw, a person may perform works of an emergency nature for the preservation or protection of life, health or property but the onus shall be on the person performing the work to show cause that the work was of an emergency nature. 14. Where any person plays or operates any radio, stereophonic equipment or apparatus for the production or amplification of sound, musical instrument or any other machinery or equipment in contravention of the general provisions of this bylaw, such equipment, apparatus, instrument or machinery may be removed, detained or impounded by a Bylaw Enforcement Officer. ____________________________________________________________________________________________ The Corporation of the City of Nelson Page 6 of 8 Noise Control Bylaw No. 3201, 2011 15. For each instance of such removal, detention or impoundment, the owner of the equipment, apparatus, instrument or machinery shall be entitled to possession upon payment to the City of the removal or detention and impoundment penalty fees as stated in the City's current Bylaw Notice Enforcement Bylaw. 16. If the person entitled to the possession of equipment, apparatus, instrument or machinery does not within thirty (30) days of its removal, detention or impoundment, including the payment of the penalty fees as required under section 15 of this bylaw, and it appears to the City that the equipment, apparatus, instrument or machinery has market value, the City shall as soon as possible thereafter, cause it to be sold by public auction to the highest bidder, or shall otherwise cause it to be disposed of as garbage. EXEMPTION 17. This bylaw does not apply to: a. Police, Fire or other emergency vehicles proceeding on an emergency; b. The City of Nelson or the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure or agents acting on their behalf for the purpose of operation, maintenance and capital works including but not limited to excavation, construction, infrastructure work, operating of maintenance equipment, repairing of streets, highways or lands; c. Snow removal or highway cleaning operations on behalf of the City; d. Construction between Monday and Friday (except Statutory Holidays) between 07:00 hours and 22:00 hours and Saturdays (except Statutory Holidays) between 09:00 hours and 17:00 hours. e. The operation of a public address system required under a building or fire code; f. A parade or procession authorized by the City. INSPECTIONS 18. A Bylaw Enforcement Officer may enter on any property at any reasonable time for the purpose of ascertaining whether the regulations and requirements of this Bylaw are being observed. No person shall obstruct the entry of a Bylaw Enforcement Officer under this section. ____________________________________________________________________________________________ The Corporation of the City of Nelson Page 7 of 8 Noise Control Bylaw No. 3201, 2011 ENFORCEMENT AND PENALTY 19. Every person who contravenes any provision of this bylaw, or consents, allows or permits an act or thing to be done in violation of a provision of this Bylaw, or who neglects to or refrains from doing anything required to be done by a provision of this Bylaw, is guilty of an offence and is liable to the penalties imposed under this bylaw and any other applicable bylaw of the City, and is guilty of a separate offence each day that a violation continues to exist. Any person who commits an offence against this bylaw is liable to a fine and penalty of not more than $2,000.00 and not less than $100.00 for each offence. Pursuant to Section 264 of the Community Charter, any person designated as a Bylaw Enforcement Officer pursuant to the "Bylaw Notice Enforcement Bylaw 3195, 2011" is hereby authorized and empowered to enforce the provisions of this bylaw or bylaw notice or as otherwise provided by this and any other bylaw of the Corporation of the City of Nelson. REPEAL 20. "Noise Control Bylaw No. 2026, 1983" and all amendments thereto is hereby repealed in its entirety. SEVERABILITY 21. If any portion of this bylaw is held to be invalid by a court of competent jurisdiction, such invalidity shall not affect the remaining portions of the Bylaw. ____________________________________________________________________________________________ The Corporation of the City of Nelson Page 8 of 8 Noise Control Bylaw No. 3201, 2011 CITATION 22. This bylaw may be cited as "The Corporation of the City of Nelson Noise Control Bylaw No. 3201, 2011". READ A FIRST TIME the 11th day of July, 2011. READ A SECOND TIME the 11th day of July, 2011. READ A THIRD TIME the 8th day of August, 2011. FINALLY PASSED AND ADOPTED the 6th day of September, 2011 John Dooley__________ Mayor Frances Long_________ Corporate Officer CERTIFIED A TRUE AND CORRECT COPY OF THE "City of Nelson Noise Control Bylaw No. 3201, 2010" __Frances Long______________________________ Manager of Legislative and Administrative Services