The Town of Collingwood is giving its 36-year-old parks and facilities bylaw an overhaul with proposed rules for barbecues, tents, and nighttime closures.
Wendy Martin, manager of parks for the town, said it’s been on staff radar for about five years as local parks have drawn increasing crowds. It was the pandemic that forced the town’s hand on the new bylaw.
“We’ve been noticing additional pressures on our parks, but COVID last year just exasperated them, adding another five years of predicted growth into one year,” said Martin.
During the summer, council pushed through a temporary ban on barbecues and cooking at Sunset Point Park, and staff painted circles on the grass at two of the town’s larger parks in an attempt to encourage physical distancing.
The current park bylaw was last updated in 1985.
The proposed bylaw would ban the use of barbecues everywhere except in designated areas. Martin said the only designated area would be at Sunset Point, then staff would assess the need for designated areas in other parks.
The bylaw would also prohibit the use of tents, but would allow shade shelters provided they are single-pole, single-wall structures. (Think an umbrella resting on its side.)
Part of the challenge Martin and town staff faced was trying to limit gatherings when the province was mandating gathering sizes of five or ten people.
“Limiting tents limits the gathering size,” said Martin.
Outside of emergency orders, however, the rule would still apply if the parks bylaw is passed.
“It affects the enjoyment of other people using the park because it may block their view to the park,” said Martin. “[Tents] may take up a larger footprint of the park than reasonable.”
Overnight camping is not permitted at Collingwood parks.
Additionally, the proposed bylaw suggests implementing park hours of operation, closing the park and prohibiting entry between 11 p.m. and 5 a.m.
The rules would require more bylaw staff at least on a seasonal basis. Martin said parks staff worked with bylaw staff to create the proposed parks and facilities bylaw.
Staff were searching for a balance of rules that would protect the parks and ensure fairness for those using them, but also make sure the rules could be enforced by town bylaw staff.
“We wanted to really make the bylaw address issues, not just things that were happening in the parks, but issues that were affecting enjoyment,” said Martin. “We want to retain the value of parks to people, we want to have the parks enjoyed by all, but we want to make sure they’re not damaged to a point where we have to shut them down to reconstruct them.”
The proposed bylaw includes rules against using sports fields or ball diamonds in the off-season (Oct. 15 to April 30); no golfing or driving golf carts in town parks; and no cutting, climbing, breaking, injuring, defacing, disturbing or removing park property such as trees, plants, gravel, and equipment.
“We attempted to have workable rules that will accommodate as many people as possible to enjoy our parks while still protecting our asset,” said Martin. “So the main thing is educating the public on the rules of the park, the etiquette of the park, but also protecting the park.”
The bylaw has not yet been presented to council for a vote. Currently, the town is seeking public feedback on the proposed bylaw. Public input will be accepted until April 27.
You can submit feedback and read the bylaw on the town’s Engage site here.
Parking at the town’s parks will be handled under a different bylaw, also in the proposal stage currently and slated for a council vote later this month. You can read more about that here.
