Loitering, using drugs along transit system to become municipal offences as bylaw changes passed
CBC
Edmonton bylaw and peace officers will have broader authority to remove people deemed to be causing safety issues for others on and around transit property, after city council agreed Wednesday to revise the city's transit bylaw.
Most of city council agreed Wednesday to revise the Conduct of Transit Passengers bylaw, so it will be an offence for people to remain on transit property for purposes other than using transit.
The amended bylaw will also make it a municipal offence to use illegal drugs on or around transit property — in addition to it being a federal crime.
"Just hanging around the station when you're not using transit is another thing we're trying to avoid here," said Andre Corbould, city manager. "Right now, we can't stop people from just hanging around the station."
To Ward Dene Coun. Aaron Paquette, the clause sounded similar to the previous provision on loitering, which council agreed to remove from the bylaw last year.
The city was highly criticized after peace officers removed homeless people from an LRT station during extreme cold weather in winter 2021.
Council agreed last summer to remove the loitering option.
"It simply did not work and it was not equitable," Paquette said of the loitering provision. "It was obviously very heavily weighted toward visible minorities as the enforcement target."
Paquette argued the existing bylaw, before the amendments, already had clear wording that allowed peace officers to deal with people posing a danger.
The legislation states no one may "engage in behaviour that can reasonably be expected to interfere with the safety or comfort of others" while on transit property.
Ward Anirniq Coun. Erin Rutherford made the same argument, suggesting the existing bylaw empowered peace officers to deal with safety issues.
City solicitor Michelle Plouffe said the amendments were meant to provide clarity.
The new clause says no one may "inappropriately or unlawfully use, interfere with the intended use of, or cause damage to" transit property.
That includes remaining on transit property while "engaging in behaviours or activities" other than riding transit.
Marine Atlantic has entered into a five-year agreement with Stena RoRo to charter a large ferry that will increase capacity on the Cabot Strait between Newfoundland and Nova Scotia.
Environment Canada said the amount of snow that fell in 24 hours in the Timmins area on Monday, Dec. 29 was equivalent to what that area typically gets in the entire month of December.
Nova Scotia Health has stopped providing a specialized nurse to victims of intimate partner violence who are not sexually assaulted after the program created unintended consequences in the court system.
Crown prosecutors in Moncton are expected to outline on Tuesday what led to the deaths of a Dieppe couple six years ago.
Toronto could see "several hours" of freezing rain on Tuesday, Environment Canada said in a special weather statement issued Monday.
Charles Milliard, the former CEO of Quebec's federation of chambers of commerce and a pharmacist by training, is running for the leadership of the Quebec Liberals.
A nurse is warning rural hospitals may have an even tougher time filling shifts in the new year as the Manitoba government ends its relationship with dozens of companies supplying its health-care system with agency nurses.
Scientists say they know why pregnant women may reach for a THC gummy or joint.
Prime Minister Mark Carney says he's not worried about the prospect of increased oil production from Venezuela challenging Canada's energy exports because Canadian oil is cheaper, cleaner and lower-risk.
The District of Vanderhoof, says it is now feeling the full financial impacts of Canfor’s 2024 Plateau sawmill closure and is facing a substantial loss of tax revenue for 2026.
As part of a series of concerts scheduled around the city in the lead up to the Juno Awards, Rollie Pemberton is excited to “hype up Hamilton as a really great music city,” and debut some new tunes.
It was a rocky year for Windsor. But it was a good year for minivans built in Canada's car capital.
An international organization that often finds itself at the centre of human rights conflicts in developing countries has turned its attention to a small town in southwest Nova Scotia.