By TERRY PUGH
Residents of a condominium on Beaudry Crescent in Martensville are calling on their city council to ban unregistered motorcycles and all-terrain vehicles from operating on city streets.
In a presentation to the Martensville City Council meeting on Tuesday, October 15, a delegation consisting of Doug Borsa, Punch Archer and Ward Wiebe, all residents of the Aspen Parke Estates condominium on the northwest edge of Martensville’s Lake Vista neighbourhood, said underage drivers speeding and stunting unregistered motorbikes and all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) on 10th Avenue North has been an ongoing issue for years.
But lately, it’s gotten even worse.
“Sooner or later, someone’s going to get seriously injured or killed,” said Borsa. “It’s a safety issue and a noise issue. These kids are speeding, many of them are not wearing helmets, they’re popping wheelies, driving on the sidewalk and even ripping around residential streets.”
The condominium building’s west side is immediately adjacent to a gravel-surfaced section of 10th Avenue North. An undeveloped piece of bush-covered land a short distance further north is a favourite location for dirt bikers and quadders, and off-roaders access the well-worn trails criss-crossing the area from 10th Avenue North.
While that access is technically permitted under the city’s All Terrain Vehicle Bylaw, there are also rules that drivers must follow.
The City of Martensville’s current All Terrain Vehicle bylaw dates back to 2013. It states that ATVs must be registered with the city, and may be operated only on “the untraveled portion” of city streets “for the purpose of travelling from private owned property to the corporate limits of the City and return, by the most direct route from the owner’s privately owned property.”
The bylaw also states ATV drivers must wear a helmet, be over the age of 16, hold a valid driver’s license, operate the vehicle safely and without excessive noise, and stay below 30 kilometers per hour.
According to the Aspen Park condominium residents who spoke at the October 15 city council meeting, the bylaw is basically being ignored by dirt bikers and quadders.
“Last Saturday, the kids were not just speeding in 10th Avenue, they were burning up and down 3rd Street by the skate park,” said Borsa. “What they’re doing is completely illegal.”
Ward Wiebe said he raised the same concerns in a presentation to Martensville City Council back in 2019. At that time, he was told the city would attempt to ‘educate’ dirt bike and ATV owners about the bylaw and its requirements.
Wiebe said after checking with the city administration recently, he learned that only one permit has been issued, leading him to conclude that only a single ATV in Martensville has been properly registered under the bylaw.
“So clearly, the education campaign hasn’t worked,” said Wiebe. “The only way to solve this issue is to ban dirt bikes and ATVs completely from operating on the streets.”
Punch Archer said he moved to Martensville three years ago from a rural community, where ATVs and dirt bikes are commonly driven in town.
“I thought in a city like Martensville I wouldn’t have to put up with that,” said Archer. “But the activity here is way worse than in any small town.”
Archer said seniors living in the condo pay a lot of property taxes to the city, and they shouldn’t have to endure constant noise from ATVs racing up and down the street nearby.
Area residents have signed a petition urging the city council to completely ban dirt bikes and ATVs on city streets.
Borsa said the City of Warman has a bylaw that prohibits the use of unlicensed and unregistered motorcycles and ATVs on city property.
“When Warman put that bylaw in place, the problem stopped,” said Borsa.
On the City of Warman website (www.warman.ca) a ‘frequently asked question’ states: “Can I ride my ATV or snowmobile in the city limits? ATVs are not permitted to be driven in city limits. Pursuant to Section 23 of our Traffic Bylaw, no person shall operate any motorized wheeled vehicle that is not capable of being licensed within the City of Warman. Snowmobiles may be driven on the most direct route out of city limits.”
The City of Warman is currently updating its Traffic Bylaw to include ‘motorized bicycles’.
Borsa said if the City of Martensville completely prohibited unlicensed dirt bikes and ATVs from operating on city property, it would enhance enforcement by the RCMP.
“Right now, it’s not cut and dried,” said Borsa. “The police just give the kids warnings. But it doesn’t seem to help.”
He added that in one recent incident, the police turned on their lights to pull over five dirt bikes on that stretch of road.
“One biker stopped, but the other four fled the scene,” said Borsa.
In response to a question from Martensville City Councillor Darren MacDonald, Borsa said he estimates there are between 50 and 100 ATV and dirt bike riders who are using 10th Avenue North as a race track.
“But, there are about 12 to 20 who are the worst repeat offenders,” said Borsa. “They hit that gravel section and they barrel out of town with the dust and stones flying.”