By-Law No. 1010/25: Prevention and Control of Wildfires — full text

This is an automated transcription (OCR) of the captured official document — minor recognition errors are possible; the source document governs. Snapshot 3cf3a212f507 · verified 2026-06-09 · original document · archived snapshot · unofficial consolidation, the official version is held by the municipal clerk.

## THE TOWN OF SNOW LAKE ## BY-LAW NUMBER 1010-25 ## BEING A BY-LAW OF THE TOWN OF SNOW LAKE FOR THE PREVENTION AND THE CONTROL OF WILDLAND FIRES WITHIN THE TOWN OF SNOW LAKE WHEREAS it is deemed expedient and advisable to pass a By-law to provide generally for the protection of life and property from damages by fire and to regulate burning within The Town of Snow Lake; WHEREAS Section 232(1) of The Municipal Act provides that A council may pass by-laws for municipal purposes respecting the following matters: - (a) the safety, health, protection and well-being of people, and the safety and protection of property; - (i) preventing and fighting fires; - (i) the sale and use of firecrackers and other fireworks, the use of rifles, guns, and other firearms, and the use of bows and arrows and other devices; ## NOW THEREFORE THE COUNCIL OF THE TOWN OF SNOW LAKE IN SESSION ASSEMBLED, ENACTS AS FOLLOWS: ## 1.0 Definitions In this By-law, unless the context otherwise requires: Authority Having Jurisdiction (AHJ) means the Municipal Council and the duly appointed agents thereof. CAO means the Chief Administrative Officer of the Town of Snow Lake and includes the delegates of this Person. Designate means any person authorized by the AHJ to enforce this By-law on behalf of the AHJ. Officer means the Fire Chief, any member of the Snow Lake volunteer fire department, or any person on behalf of the AHJ, appointed as a fire guardian for purposes of The Wildfires Act. Outdoor Fire means a fire that is started outdoors including crop residue burning, land clearing and grass burning. - 2.0 Delegation of Authority - 2.1 THAT the Authority Having Jurisdiction, Chief Administrative Officer or designate of the Town of Snow Lake be appointed as Officers for the purpose of enforcing provincial statutes, regulations as well as this By-law. ## 3.0 Responsibilities - 3.1 All burning within the municipality shall be subject to the conditions and provisions of The Wildfires Act, and the Manitoba Crop Burning Residue Burning Regulation - MR 77/93. - 3.2 AUTHORIZATION to conduct Outdoor Fire burning does not exempt or excuse a person from the responsibility, consequences, damages, or injuries resulting from the authorized burning and does not excuse a person from complying with other applicable laws, ordinances or regulations. - a) Any Outdoor Fire shall be supervised by the owner or occupier of the land or a person authorized by the owner or occupier of the - b) No person shall start an Outdoor Fire on any land without taking sufficient precautions that are reasonably necessary to protect persons and the property of others from the fire. - c) No person shall start an Outdoor Fire unless all precautions are taken to ensure that the fire can be kept under control, or when weather conditions are conducive to a fire burning out of control. - d) No person shall cause an Outdoor Fire to be started in order to guard property; clear land or burn debris; burn crop, stubble or grass; unless the land on which the fire is started is completely surrounded by a fire guard consisting of: - a strip of land free of flammable material, or of sufficient width to control the fire - (ii) by natural or man-made barriers, water, or - (iii) by a combination of (i) and (ii). - e) The smoke from an Outdoor Fire shall not pose unreasonable hazard to the health of any person or reduce the visibility on any road or highway. - f) A sufficient water supply and means of fire suppression capable of extinguishing the Outdoor Fire based on its fuel loading and size shall be available on site. - g) All fires must be extinguished when unsupervised. ## 4.0 Burning Ban - 4.1 The municipality may, by resolution, at their discretion, ban burning in the Town of Snow Lake if conditions exist where, in the opinion of the municipality, fires are of extremely high risk, and such a ban would prevent wildfires from occurring. This ban may include, but is not limited to, fires contained within fire pits, solid fuel burning appliances, and the use of fireworks. The resolution shall specify the forms of burning that are prohibited and may exempt certain types of burning where deemed safe and appropriate. ## 5.0 Offences and Penalties - 5.1 It is an offense to contravene any provisions of this By-law. Any conviction of an offence is subject to a fine not exceeding one thousand dollars ($1,000) or imprisonment for a term not exceeding six months or to both a fine and such an imprisonment. - 5.2 Where a person is in contravention under this By-law, in addition to imposing a fine, the municipality is entitled to be reimbursed by the person(s) for costs incurred by the municipality in fire protection and suppression operations that were undertaken as a result of the person(s) acts or omissions that resulted in the costs to be incurred. - 6.0 General Provisions - 6.1 By-law 947-16 is hereby repealed. - This By-law shall come into force and take effect on the day after receiving third and final reading by Council. DONE, PASSED AND ENACTED by Council duly assembled at the Council Chambers of the Town of Snow Lake this 24 day of June \_ AD 2025.   R. Sitt Ron Scott, Mayor aleuten Fisher Alexander Fisher, CAO Read the First time this 27" day of May, 2025 Read the Third time this 24 day of June \_, 2025 Read the Second time this 24 day of June \_, 2025