Latest news with #bylaws
News.com.au
14 hours ago
- General
- News.com.au
Unit owner told to turn music down and sing quietly
A unit owner has been ordered to sing quietly and keep music levels to a minimum following complaints from his neighbours about his laundry habits, loud music and water usage. But that was not the only complaints levelled against the owner by the Body Corporate for Four Seasons. Thomas Schlacher was also ordered to ensure personal items were not left on common property including a boat so as not to kill or damage parts of the lawn, and to not deposit food waste on the common property lawn. The body corporate accused Schlacher of breaching the by-laws and sought orders from the Queensland Body Corporate and Community Management Commission (QBCCMC), with that judgement recently published. The body corporate sought orders that Schlacher and any residents or visitors keep their noise level to a minimum and that loud noise and gatherings that can be heard from neighbouring lots cease by 9pm. 'Should Thomas sing or play music, to do so quietly and not disturb the peaceful enjoyment of another lot or on common property,' the body corporate asked, and the he 'not play any music or radio when he is not home'. It further asked for orders that Schlacher use only 'designated washing lines in a respectful manner by ensuring that his laundry is taken in when it has dried and not left on there for extended periods of time with a maximum period of 36 hours'. Further the body corpoare sought an order that Schlacher does not use any tree or rope as an additional washing line and that he remove rope from two trees that are on common property. that he has been using as a washing line. It also sought an order that he hangs an article of clothing over one line of the communal washing lines and not multiple lines, and that he keeps his washing confined to one area of the washing line and not spread out across the whole thing. Man pulls out 20m 'monster' in Aussie backyard The body corporate also sought orders that he remove all personal items from the common areas, that he fix damaged fence palings and a tap handle, and that he use water reasonably and reimburse the owners of three neighbouring units $345.82 each for his increased and excessive use of water. The man submitted that 'all contraventions had been brought to an end and no further action was necessary'. While the body corporate acknowledged that there had been a recent improvement with respect to noise and the man's laundry habits, some personal items remained on common property, the damaged palings and tap had not been repaired, and his neighbours had not been reimbursed for excessive water usage, which continues. 'I sought an update in June and was told that Mr Schlacher has resumed playing music at an excessive volume and leaving a speaker outside while he is away from the property for hours at a time, and at times he leaves his laundry on the line for 'extended periods',' the judgement by the QBCCMC adjudicator says. 'Otherwise, the situation was said to be much as described in the body corporate's reply to submissions.' The adjudicator found that Schlacher was playing music loud enough 'that it sounds as though it is being played within the lot above. No background sounds can be heard over it'. 'I will order Mr Schlacher to keep his music to a volume that is unlikely to interfere with the ordinary use of other lots,' the adjudicator said. 'His neighbours should not be required to raise their voices, turn up their own devices, or close windows and doors to keep his music to a low, background level.' As for Schlacher's laundry habits, that has substantially abated, the judgement found. 'He is no longer hanging his washing on trees on the common property, and he has removed the line he had strung between them,' it says. 'However, he is still said to be leaving his laundry on the common property washing line for extended periods, limiting its use by other residents.' However, the adjudicator was not satisfied that Schlacher was breaching current by-laws. As for personal items, the body corporate claims that the following items remain on common property: a bird bath, epiphytes that have been attached to a frangipani tree, pots and plants, bags of potting mix, a BBQ, a boat, food scraps, a shade awning, pictures on a door and window and a hose. 'The application included photographs of food waste left on the lawn,' the judgement said. 'Mr Schlacher did not deny that he left it (or any of the other items in the body corporate's photographs) there, saying only that he had rectified all matters and there is now full compliance. 'Despite this claim, the body corporate says Mr Schlacher continues to deposit food scraps on the lawn. 'It submitted no further evidence of it, but I am inclined to accept the claim given Mr Schlacher's prior conduct and the fact that the body corporate did not hesitate to acknowledge those issues that have been resolved since the application was lodged.' But the adjudicator did not find there to be sufficient evidence that the man had damaged the fence palings or the tap. The adjudicator also did not order Schlacher to curb his water use due to the complex having only one meter. 'The body corporate may wish to investigate having individual meters installed for each lot,' the finding said. But the adjudicator was satisfied that Schlacher continued to breach the by-laws by playing his music too loud, allowing his personal items on the common property to damage patches of the lawn, and depositing food scraps on the lawn.
CTV News
15-05-2025
- General
- CTV News
Are fireworks allowed for Victoria Day? Here are the rules in your community
Fireworks have sparked heated debate across southern Ontario. Some communities welcome the displays, while others are enacting new bylaws to ban the use or restrict the sales of fireworks. Below you can find the current bylaws for the Victoria Day weekend listed city by city. Kitchener Fireworks are only permitted on May 19 from 9 p.m. to 11 p.m. Firecrackers, including cherry bombs and torpedoes, are not allowed. Starting in 2026, the sales of fireworks will be banned. Cambridge Fireworks are allowed on Victoria Day between dusk and 11 p.m. Waterloo As of May 15, fireworks can be set off one day before and one day after Victoria Day, and only between dusk and 11 p.m. Council decided to update the city's fireworks bylaw on May 5. The changes include reducing the number of days fireworks can be set off, prohibiting the sale of fireworks within the city's boundaries and increasing penalties for infractions. While council agreed to change the bylaw, it has not yet been approved. Noise complaints can be called in to 519-747-8785. North Dumfries Fireworks are permitted on Victoria Day and the day before. All displays must end before 10:15 p.m. Wilmot Fireworks are allowed on Victoria Day, the day before and the day after the holiday. Guelph Fireworks are permitted on Victoria Day and the day before. They can be set off between 9 a.m. and 11:59 p.m. Noise complaints can be made to the Guelph Police Service. Stratford Fireworks are allowed on Victoria Day and the day before the holiday. They can be set off between 9 a.m. and 11:59 p.m. Brantford Fireworks can be set off between sunset and 11 p.m. on Victoria Day and the three days before the holiday (May 16, May 17, May 18 and May 19). Brant County Fireworks are permitted on Victoria Day, as well as three days before and three days after the holiday. Woodstock All fireworks were banned as of Jan. 1, 2024.
Globe and Mail
11-05-2025
- Automotive
- Globe and Mail
Is it legal to wash a car on a city street?
A lot of drivers in cities like Toronto and Vancouver don't have driveways. Are they legally allowed to wash their cars on the street? What about maintenance like an oil or tire change? – Jason, Toronto If you're trying to wash your car on the street in Toronto, keep your mind on the gutter. The city bans letting anything other than rainwater or melted snow get into a storm sewer. That's to prevent contaminated water – 'such as run off from car washing, which can contain toxic chemicals, heavy metals, oil and grease' – from ending up in creeks, rivers and Lake Ontario, Krystal Carter, City of Toronto spokeswoman, said in an e-mail. To avoid an up to $50,000 fine, consider using a cloth or sponge and a bucket. 'The wastewater can be contained in the bucket and disposed of in a sink or toilet,' Carter said. Unlike storm drains, the drains in your home go into the sanitary sewer system, which ends up at a treatment plant. That rule applies if you have a driveway, too: you still can't let dirty, soapy water flow into the storm sewer. But there are ways around that, she said. 'For example, [you could wash] cars on a permeable surface such as gravel that allows the wastewater to be absorbed before it reaches the storm sewer,' she said. Or, you could just go to a car wash. The dirty water at a car wash ends up in the sanitary sewer system, Carter said. Street sense? There's also another Toronto bylaw that could dampen your plans to wash your car on the street. Chapter 73 of the city's Municipal Code bans letting water flow across sidewalks and streets. It also bans obstructing sidewalks and streets. 'Washing a car on the street could violate these regulations if it involves a hose running across [the sidewalk] or water flowing onto the sidewalk or roadway,' Carter said. If you break that bylaw, you could be hit with a $240 fine. However, Toronto didn't charge anyone under either bylaw for washing their car on the street last year. The rules vary by city. Vancouver, Calgary and Halifax, for example, generally ban soapy water from storm drains. While Vancouver said it bans washing cars on the street to prevent pollution, a spokeswoman said washing cars in driveways is 'generally not considered an issue.' It didn't issue any tickets last year. Vancouver also recommends car washes because it said they recirculate their water and 'typically use seven times less water' than washing your car at home. Montreal said you can wash your car on the street as long as you're using a bucket or a garden hose with an automatic shut-off so you're not wasting water. In Winnipeg, you can wash your personal car on the street, but not a commercial vehicle. No foul? In Toronto, those same bylaws also limit DIY car repairs on the street. For example, they say you can't let oil or antifreeze 'foul' the street or sidewalk or get into the storm sewer. You also can't interfere with street or sidewalk traffic. As long as you're not breaking the rules, you can do some maintenance, Carter said. The rules vary in other cities. We checked with a few cities and most said they didn't specifically ban repairs or maintenance on the street, as long as oil or other fluids aren't spilled. Winnipeg was an exception. It bans all non-emergency repairs on the street. Have a driving question? Send it to globedrive@ and put 'Driving Concerns' in your subject line. Emails without the correct subject line may not be answered. Canada's a big place, so let us know where you are so we can find the answer for your city and province.
Yahoo
11-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Bylaw updates aim to cut red tape for festivals, demonstrations
City staff are looking to update Ottawa's bylaws in the hopes of making it easier to have a little fun. Staff are recommending several updates to the city's special events bylaw that they say will reduce red tape for organizers of festivals, block parties and demonstrations. The bylaw covers outdoor events of 500 participants or more. Some of the bylaw amendments include: Making it easier for licensed mobile vendors and food trucks to participate in special events. Allowing for noise exemption extensions when outdoor events are affected by weather delays or other circumstances outside organizers' control. Reducing regulations for bars, restaurants and venues already licensed by the province during special events Streamlining the approval of weekday road closures by delegating authority to designated staff and ward councillors. "The proposed changes will make it easier to manage the growing demand for events while maintaining safety and the quality of life residents expect," said Jerrod Riley, a bylaw review specialist with the city's public policy development department, in a statement to CBC News. According to the staff report, the changes would also reduce overtime and generate additional revenue for the city's event and tourism sector. The proposed changes are welcome news to event organizers in the city, some of whom have struggled to overcome Ottawa's reputation as "the city that fun forgot." "Any effort to streamline any forms and regulations to abide by are helpful," said Mark Monahan, executive director of Ottawa Bluesfest. The annual music festival, which draws crowds of up to 300,000 every summer, found itself at the mercy of the city's bylaws in 2019 when headliner Snoop Dogg's set was delayed by a thunderstorm. Festival organizers were later slapped with a fine because the performance went past 11 p.m., violating the city's noise bylaws. "I think the bylaw now is going to allow for that, and and I'm encouraged by that," Monahan said. It's not all good news: The new bylaw would also require annual safety training for event staff and volunteers that Monahan said "would be almost impossible" to fulfil. "We have over 2,000 volunteers," he said. "They want to come into the festival and help, but their time and their ability to train or do these sorts of things is very limited." Tara Shannon, executive director of the Ottawa Festival Network, said there's a "large appetite" for more freedom in organizing festivals, block parties and other outdoor events. She said the changes could inspire more of those kinds of events in the city. "I was very encouraged to see that the focus from the city was to help our event producers, festivals, make it a little bit easier for them to make incredible events for our city," she said. "The speed of the energy behind creative events and the speed of the energy of bylaw and bureaucracy sometimes are not a match." Under the new rules, demonstrations held on city property would no longer require a special event permit. Instead, organizers would inform the city through a notification form. Ottawa police would continue to enforce the law at these events. The city staff report acknowledged a growing demand for city services and policing in response to demonstrations, a change staff attribute to global events and growing economic uncertainty. In coming up with their recommendations, staff consulted with the Ottawa Police Service (OPS), Ontario Provincial Police, the RCMP and Global Affairs Canada. Those agencies asked for more clarity concerning the bylaws, and to be notified of the events earlier. All the agencies the city consulted were generally supportive of the new framework, according to the report. Coun. Marty Carr, vice-chair of the city's police services board, said the proposed changes are a "very positive step." "I think they've done a really good job of … ensuring that balance between people's right to protest [and] the protection of the residents, whether they're protesting or whether they're attending events.," she said. Councillors will discuss the proposed changes at a joint committee meeting on Thursday. If approved, the new rules would come into full effect next year, but some changes could be implemented sooner.
CBC
11-05-2025
- Entertainment
- CBC
Bylaw updates aim to cut red tape for festivals, demonstrations
City staff are looking to update Ottawa's bylaws in the hopes of making it easier to have a little fun. Staff are recommending several updates to the city's special events bylaw that they say will reduce red tape for organizers of festivals, block parties and demonstrations. The bylaw covers outdoor events of 500 participants or more. Some of the bylaw amendments include: Making it easier for licensed mobile vendors and food trucks to participate in special events. Allowing for noise exemption extensions when outdoor events are affected by weather delays or other circumstances outside organizers' control. Reducing regulations for bars, restaurants and venues already licensed by the province during special events Streamlining the approval of weekday road closures by delegating authority to designated staff and ward councillors. "The proposed changes will make it easier to manage the growing demand for events while maintaining safety and the quality of life residents expect," said Jerrod Riley, a bylaw review specialist with the city's public policy development department, in a statement to CBC News. According to the staff report, the changes would also reduce overtime and generate additional revenue for the city's event and tourism sector. Forget 'the city that fun forgot' The proposed changes are welcome news to event organizers in the city, some of whom have struggled to overcome Ottawa's reputation as "the city that fun forgot." "Any effort to streamline any forms and regulations to abide by are helpful," said Mark Monahan, executive director of Ottawa Bluesfest. The annual music festival, which draws crowds of up to 300,000 every summer, found itself at the mercy of the city's bylaws in 2019 when headliner Snoop Dogg's set was delayed by a thunderstorm. Festival organizers were later slapped with a fine because the performance went past 11 p.m., violating the city's noise bylaws. "I think the bylaw now is going to allow for that, and and I'm encouraged by that," Monahan said. It's not all good news: The new bylaw would also require annual safety training for event staff and volunteers that Monahan said "would be almost impossible" to fulfil. "We have over 2,000 volunteers," he said. "They want to come into the festival and help, but their time and their ability to train or do these sorts of things is very limited." Tara Shannon, executive director of the Ottawa Festival Network, said she's pleased the city is exploring more flexible rules for event organizers. (Submitted by Tara Shannon) Tara Shannon, executive director of the Ottawa Festival Network, said there's a "large appetite" for more freedom in organizing festivals, block parties and other outdoor events. She said the changes could inspire more of those kinds of events in the city. "I was very encouraged to see that the focus from the city was to help our event producers, festivals, make it a little bit easier for them to make incredible events for our city," she said. "The speed of the energy behind creative events and the speed of the energy of bylaw and bureaucracy sometimes are not a match." New approach to demonstrations Under the new rules, demonstrations held on city property would no longer require a special event permit. Instead, organizers would inform the city through a notification form. Ottawa police would continue to enforce the law at these events. The city staff report acknowledged a growing demand for city services and policing in response to demonstrations, a change staff attribute to global events and growing economic uncertainty. Alta Vista Coun. Marty Carr says the proposed notification process for demonstrations is a 'very positive step.' (Michel Aspirot/CBC) In coming up with their recommendations, staff consulted with the Ottawa Police Service (OPS), Ontario Provincial Police, the RCMP and Global Affairs Canada. Those agencies asked for more clarity concerning the bylaws, and to be notified of the events earlier. All the agencies the city consulted were generally supportive of the new framework, according to the report. Coun. Marty Carr, vice-chair of the city's police services board, said the proposed changes are a "very positive step." "I think they've done a really good job of … ensuring that balance between people's right to protest [and] the protection of the residents, whether they're protesting or whether they're attending events.," she said. Councillors will discuss the proposed changes at a joint committee meeting on Thursday. If approved, the new rules would come into full effect next year, but some changes could be implemented sooner.
