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Canmore municipal enforcement to assist with traffic violations

“Safe streets are a multi-prong approach and I feel this is one of the bigger prongs between the RCMP, municipal enforcement, street design, photo radar, lower speed limits. We’re really trying to promote a safer environment for people to walk and cycle.”
Canmore Civic Centre in winter 2
The Canmore Civic Centre. RMO FILE PHOTO

CANMORE – Canmore will have additional help when it comes to traffic safety.

Town council approved a change that will allow municipal enforcement officers to make traffic stops, which will aid in promoting public safety and education, according to Town staff.

“It’s well within the role of our community peace officers to be engaging in work that creates safer roadways, streets, paths and trails and a safer community for all of us,” said Coun. Tanya Foubert. “This, along with the other things we’re doing such as lowering speed limits in multiple areas in town, will help increase public safety. That’s a really important part of our mandate as municipal elected officials.”

The move will help “increase responsiveness to community concerns around traffic safety, support initiatives related to the Integrated Transportation Plan and support advancement of safe multi-modal transportation shift,” a staff report stated.

Greg Burt, the supervisor of municipal enforcement, told council community peace officers have the ability and training to make traffic stops but prior to the council vote were not allowed.

He noted it would be another part of their position and they would be “striking a balance between education and enforcement.”

Burt said the change would allow municipal enforcement to partner with Canmore RCMP, particularly if there are concerns about traffic issues in specific areas. The ultimate goal is to educate drivers and enforcement if necessary.

“This isn’t a fine revenue-generated program,” he said, adding it would take about three to six months to receive equipment to have the service level come into the community.

He added there wouldn’t be a need for new people with the additional responsibility.

The staff report noted municipal enforcement officers previously assisted with traffic laws before 2007, but it was switched with the intent of focusing more on bylaw enforcement and education.

However, a recent shift in for community peace officers program saw the two levels go to only one. From 2007-22, level one peace officers could enforce traffic laws and level two couldn’t. Canmore was a level two community, but the switch means all community peace officers have the same standards.

The staff report stated all the Town’s community peace officers have full training to help with the Traffic Safety Act.

The new direction from council will see municipal enforcement update standard operating guidelines, develop a traffic safety plan, provide additional training and potentially upgrade equipment. The traffic safety plan would be updated every three years, approved by Canmore RCMP’s detachment commander, reviewed annually and provided to the province.

But while the change is made, Town staff are recommending against having traffic enforcement be a priority and for police to continue to be the lead agency. It would be more balanced, according to the report, with other activities such as enforcing noise complaints, illegal camping, wildlife attractants and off-leash dogs.

Staff Sgt. Ryan Singleton, the Canmore RCMP detachment commander, said they already team up with municipal enforcement in the MD of Bighorn for similar traffic enforcement.

“It’s all about resource management over the last couple of years. If I have one member available for traffic, we’d quite often inform municipal enforcement and we’d do joint operations in specific areas,” he said.

“It aids us and it’s something we routinely do. We talk with municipal enforcement [regularly]. It will aid and assist us greatly.

The report estimates fine revenue will increase by $72,000 this year and $144,000 in 2024. It added provincial tickets see half the revenue go to the province and the rest goes to the municipality.

It noted roughly $20,000 in expenses would be incurred this year and $7,500 next year for new equipment and training.

Coun. Wade Graham raised the issue of having revenue go to a specific reserve as opposed to the Town’s general reserve, but council said it was an issue best left during budget talks. The Town could also establish a reserve specific for fines collected from community peace officer enforcement similar to the development application reserve creation last year.

Coun. Joanna McCallum said the move will assist in providing a safer community for residents.

“Safe streets are a multi-prong approach and I feel this is one of the bigger prongs between the RCMP, municipal enforcement, street design, photo radar, lower speed limits,” she said. “We’re really trying to promote a safer environment for people to walk and cycle.”

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