Conversation continues regarding snowmobiles on Highland Street

By Chad Ingram

There was further conversation regarding the potential creation of a bylaw regulating snowmobiles within Dysart et al during a March 26 council meeting.

As previously reported during a Feb. 26 council meeting councillors discussed the problem of snowmobilers driving on sidewalks throughout Haliburton Village in order to access businesses. Snowmobilers are supposed to park in a designated snowmobile parking lot in Head Lake Park and walk from there.

During the February council meeting Deputy Mayor Pat Kennedy pointed out the municipality has the authority to decide where snowmobilers may ride and suggested that perhaps allowing snowmobilers to drive down the surface of Highland Street along with other traffic would reduce incidents of snowmobilers driving on sidewalks.

During last week’s meeting a staff report from bylaw officer Kristin Boylan came to the council table the report containing two potential recommendations: Create a bylaw governing areas of access for snowmobiles or simply expand the parking area in Head Lake Park for next season.

“End of story nothing else” said Mayor Andrea Roberts. “Does that suit the majority?”

Kennedy said he disagreed with the interpretation of the province’s Motorized Snowmobile Act contained in the staff report and that according to his interpretation snowmobiles are already permitted on municipal roads in the municipality.

“That’s an important thing that I think we need to determine and go back and read these documents” Roberts said.

The matter will come back to the council table.

Dysart et al does have a bylaw governing off-road vehicles which allows them on all municipal roads except for the stretch of Highland Street between Cedar Avenue and Dysart Avenue.