People living in Lakeshore are being reminded to be respectful of others when it comes to enjoying the parks, beaches, waterfront areas, and green spaces.
The municipality is issuing the reminder, especially around areas like Lakeview and Optimist Parks in Belle River, which has seen an increase in use this summer.
Executive Director of Community Services, Vanessa Stratton, says they are seeing an uptick in use of their parks lately, and they’re trying to be proactive in dealing with any issues.
“We are still asking visitors and residents to keep that noise at a reasonable level to help us avoid those disruptive activities, whether it’s loud music with shouting; we see a lot of speakers out, especially at the beach and whatnot,” she says.
Stratton says they just want people to be respectful and considerate of people living nearby and those using the parks.
“Especially during those early morning hours and, of course, our evening and weekend hours,” she says. “We’re not saying we don’t want you to have a good time. We’re literally just trying to really continue to talk about the educational perspective to keep everything safe and enjoyable for everyone that’s participating.”
Stratton says their by-law enforcement officers have been out also looking at other issues besides noise.
“What we’ve also seen is that we have some challenges, especially with e-bikes, scooters, and ATVs. With nice weather, we can totally appreciate the sentiment of the usage of those, but they are not allowed in the parks or facilities. We are trying to educate and get the word out,” she says.
Staff are on the lookout for other activities prohibited by Lakeshore’s Parks By-law, Open Burning By-law, and provincial legislation:
· Smoking, including cigarettes, pipes, and hookahs.
· The use of motorized vehicles, including electric bikes and scooters.
· Lighting of fires, including barbeques.
· Littering and not cleaning up after pets.
Municipal bylaw officers will continue to conduct regular patrols of local parks throughout the summer. Park visitors and nearby residents are encouraged to report noise and other by-law complaints online using Lakeshore’s new By-law Complaint Portal at Lakeshore.ca/BylawComplaint.
For noise complaints outside of regular business hours, park users and residents are asked to contact the Ontario Provincial Police non-emergency line at 1-888-310-1122 or online at OPP.ca.