Earlier this month, Stonewall council approved multiple bylaws. The Town of Stonewall’s bylaws are posted in full on the town’s website at www.stonewall.ca under “Town Hall” and “Documents” followed by “Bylaws and Permits.”
Here are a few highlights from some of these bylaws. Much more information is provided about each bylaw on the Town of Stonewall website.
- Stonewall council recently approved an amended bylaw that focuses on the licensing and regulating of a raffle lottery. Charitable and religious organizations can apply to the town if they’d like to hold a raffle, as long as the prize doesn’t exceed a retail value of $3,000. The generated funds must be used to advance education, religion, health, sport, recreation, culture, poverty or other areas considered appropriate by the Manitoba Gaming Control Commission. The town will collect a raffle lottery licence fee of five per cent of the total value prizes to be awarded to a maximum of $50.
- Another bylaw focuses on the parking and storing of derelict vehicles. The bylaw applies to all properties in Stonewall. For properties in the annexed lands, residents can apply to the town for a permit for the temporary use of a semi-trailer if required. No one can store a derelict vehicle on property that is being leased. Anyone who doesn’t comply with the bylaw can face a $250 penalty for each offence.
- Council also passed a bylaw that aims to regulate and control the discharge of firearms in Stonewall. No hunting is allowed on town property. The prohibited firearm zone applies to the townsite of Stonewall. The restricted firearm zone applies to the annexed lands around the townsite. Unless otherwise allowed by law, no one can discharge or fire a centre fire rifle, firearm or other device designed to propel projectiles by compressed air or gas within the prohibited firearm zone. Unless provided by law, no one can have a loaded centre fire rifle, nor can they discharge a centre fire rifle, in the restricted firearm zone. In the annexed lands, firearms can be used in the normal course of livestock production. The bylaw doesn’t apply to authorized personnel in the performance of their duties. In addition, the town may authorize the discharge of firearms for emergency control of problematic wildlife. Authorized personnel can seize loaded centre fire rifles and firearms in the town. Anyone who doesn’t comply with the bylaw can face a $500 fine.
- Council passed a bylaw to regulate and prohibit nuisance noise, such as setting off any explosive noise-making device like a firecracker or fireworks, unless specifically authorized by the fire chief or CAO. The bylaw also applies to sounds from musical instruments or loudspeakers that is audible from a distance of 30 metres or more, unless authorized by the police chief or CAO. The bylaw applies to certain circumstances for excavation or construction work, use of power tools, obscene language, manual equipment or machinery, motor vehicles, model vehicles and more. The bylaw also lists permitted noises, such as authorized parades, authorized street festivals or other special events, construction work in public spaces, snow clearing and road maintenance, fire hall alarms, sound systems at sports venues, farming activities, airplanes and the town’s emergency alarms.
- Council approved a bylaw that aims to control, regulate or prohibit the removal of topsoil from lands in town. Through this bylaw, no one can remove, sell for removal or permit the removal of topsoil from the annexed lands in agricultural zones except in certain conditions, which are also outlined in the bylaw. These conditions include obtaining a permit from the Town of Stonewall, ensuring that no topsoil is removed nearer than 1,000 feet from any habitable building without consent of the owner and occupier, and ensuring that the topsoil removal won’t disrupt the original grade of the land.
- Another bylaw focuses on maintaining property and regulating nuisances, abandoned or unsightly property. Occupiers and owners must ensure that properties in Stonewall are free from rubbish, unsafe structures, unsightly storage, unsightly grass, nuisance weeds and nuisance smoke from outdoor burning (except for in the annexed lands).
- Council approved a bylaw to establish and maintain proper lot grades on building lots in town. All sites require a lot grade plan, which the town needs to approve before issuing a lot grade permit. Anyone who doesn’t comply with the bylaw will be charged $1,500.
- Council also approved a bylaw related to the regulation and control of animals within town limits. Under this bylaw, the town can establish and maintain a pound for apprehended animals, including domestic pets that have been running at large. The animal control officer can request proof from an owner at any time that their dogs or cats have current rabies vaccinations. If the owner can’t provide this proof, the animal control officer can impound the pet and issue a notice of the bylaw breach to the owner. For-profit kennels for boarding or breeding dogs or cats are prohibited in town. The bylaw outlines a list of owners’ responsibilities, which includes not allowing their dog or cat to be in any school ground or playground. Registered guide dogs are not subject those restrictions. Except for people on annexed lands, Stonewall residents can’t have more than two dogs and three cats over six months old. In the annexed lands, residents can have a maximum of three dogs and three cats. If residents would like to have more pets than this limit, they can apply for an excess animal permit from the town.
- Stonewall’s burning bylaw notes that all burning within the town of Stonewall must comply with the conditions of The Wildfires Act and the Manitoba Crop Burning Residue Burning Regulation. Campfires and yard waste burning are only allowed on annexed lands. Agricultural waste burning is only allowed in agricultural zones in the annexed lands. Garbage burning is only allowed in the annexed lands as long as the garbage is in a self-contained apparatus specifically designed for burning. The town can ban all burning during high-risk times to help prevent wildfires.
