There’s currently not much the Burns Lake RCMP can do to help local residents who are dealing with excessive noise in their vicinity.
Although Burns Lake has a noise bylaw in place (anti-noise bylaw 771, 2000), the bylaw is not enforceable by the RCMP. Staff sergeant Charlotte Peters with the Burns Lake RCMP explained that although police officers can respond to a noise complaint and ask people to respect the bylaw, they cannot issue a ticket.
In order for RCMP officers to be able to enforce the bylaw, Burns Lake council would have to create a new bylaw or pass a resolution giving the RCMP the authority to hand someone a ticket for a noise infraction. But since the anti-noise bylaw was signed in 2000, no action has been taken.
“We have talked in the past about developing one, but haven’t done it yet,” said Sheryl Worthing, Burns Lake’s chief administrative officer.
The current anti-noise bylaw is only enforceable by the village’s bylaw enforcement officer, Rob Krause, who’s also the village’s director of protective services (fire chief). However, Worthing says any noise complaints would “likely only be addressed during normal working hours.” This means that the RCMP are the only option for residents dealing with excessive noise during the evening and on weekends.
Worthing said “many noise complaints” have been brought to the village’s attention.
“If we receive a complaint we can start a process to investigate the situation,” said Worthing. “We deal with each complaint in accordance with the bylaw.”
The Town of Smithers, on the other hand, gives the RCMP full authority to enforce the town’s noise bylaw.
“We provide a noise bylaw ticket book to the local detachment,” explained Smithers’ bylaw enforcement officer Matt Davey. “They issue the ticket and then forward to the town for processing/prosecution.”
The District of Houston also allows the RCMP to enforce the municipality’s noise bylaw.
When asked how often the Burns Lake detachment receives noise complaints, staff sergeant Peters said the RCMP does not keep statistics specifically about noise complaints.
“Usually when there is a noise complaint, there are other problems involved, and so we can enforce action based on the other issues,” she said.
Burns Lake’s anti-noise bylaw states that any person who violates any provision of the bylaw is guilty of an offence and is punishable in accordance with the Offense Act.
“It shall be unlawful for any person or persons within the municipal boundaries of the Village of Burns Lake to make or cause any noises or sounds in or on a highway or elsewhere within the municipal boundaries which disturb or tend to disturb the quiet, peace, rest, enjoyment, comfort, or convenience of the neighbourhood, or of persons in the vicinity,” reads the bylaw.
