By KEVIN BERGER, Local Journalism Initiative
Approximately 81% of the respondents in the City of Martensville’s public consultation on ATVs, dirt bikes and unlicensed vehicles oppose a complete ban on their use within city limits.
That said, there does seem to be a recognition of issues around noise and public safety, so the city will likely look at heightened enforcement, more education and even designated areas/trails for these recreational users.
Those are some of the main takeaways from a report presented at the Martensville committee of the whole meeting on October 14 summarizing the results of the city’s consultation from July to September.
“We kind of took everything we heard through summer and tried to reflect some of the views that we heard,” said Economic Development Manager Dillon Shewchuk, who prepared the report along with communications specialist Tyler Schroeder.
Shewchuk added they tried to be factual in preparing the report and not treat it “as a plebiscite or a popularity contest.”
Originally, the consultation was prompted by a delegation of residents from the Aspen Parke Estates condominium on the northwest edge of Martensville’s Lake Vista neighbourhood.
The delegation had attended a council meeting on October 15, 2024 to express their frustrations around underage drivers speeding and stunting in their area.
A follow-up presentation was made during a committee of the whole meeting on June 10, 2025, where council was asked to implement a complete ban on ATVs and dirt bikes within city limits.
The City of Martensville’s public consultation took the form of an online survey and questionnaire, three-in person events and consultations with North Ridge Developments and Sgt. Curtis Little and Sgt. Jason Teniuk of the Martensville RCMP.
Over 1,350 responses were received through the online survey alone, though the report also took into account responses received through other channels, so the numbers vary slightly depending on the question asked.
As noted in the report, nearly half (43%) of respondents said they currently ride ATVs, dirt bikes or other unlicensed vehicles. Another 14% indicated they were considering becoming users.
Of those respondents who indicated they rode ATVs or dirt bikes, 31% said they rode every week, 32% said they rode a few times per year and 36% indicated they rode a few times each month. Notably, some respondents indicated that the ability to ride “close to home” was among the reasons they chose to live in Martensville.
“A very large reason I moved to Martensville was the small town feel, such as kids/adults being allowed to drive their recreational toys from home out of town into riding areas. If this gets removed, myself along with many others I know will be considering leaving the community,” one respondent said.
When asked where they ride, 344 respondents indicated the northeast quadrant of the city, while another 61 respondent indicated the southeast. Ridership was spotty in other areas.
A total of 974 respondents said they had not experienced safety concerns related to ATVs, dirt bikes and unlicensed vehicles. However, 348 property-owners and 30 riders indicated they had experienced such issues.
When asked to identify their top concerns (if any) with ATV, dirt bikes and other unlicensed vehicle use, the most frequent answers were conflict with other road users (343), safety risks to other residents (282), noise (273), damage to streets and land (160), trespassing on private land (130) and finally dust or debris (91).
North Ridge Developments, whose land is one of the most-frequented locations for off-road vehicles, indicated they recognized the recreational value of allowing ATVs to ride freely, but they were concerned about potential injuries to riders and the resulting liability.
When asked about their awareness of bylaws and rules around off-highway vehicles, 63% indicated they were aware of the rules, 26% indicated they were “somewhat” aware and 11% indicated no awareness.
While the majority of respondents opposed a total ban, 473 respondents indicated they would like designated trails with clear boundaries, 401 said they wanted more education initiatives on rules/regulations, 304 said they wanted increased enforcement, 296 favoured more signage for boundaries and designated riding areas, and 226 wanted to implement time-of-day restrictions.
Meanwhile, Martensville Fire Chief Dean Brooman said the RCMP would like to see more clarity in the city’s bylaw around off-highway vehicles travelling on “untravelled portions” of roads.
Currently, ATVs and dirt bikes are prohibited from operating on roads as per the provincial All Terrain Vehicle Act, but they can travel on “untravelled portions” not typically used by regular vehicles, such as ditches.
“Right now, that’s a little bit vague. Even some of the officers, when they go to enforce, they’re not quite clear of what that means. So that could be something we look at in the bylaw,” Brooman suggested.
The report concluded by suggesting ATV, dirt bike and unlicensed vehicle use is deeply valued in Martensville.
That said, “probably more has to be done around rules, broader education and just management around this issue,” said Shewchuk.
City Manager Tanya Garost indicated that at a minimum their bylaw is out of date and will need to be aligned with provincial legislation, so this topic will be discussed by council in the future.
That said, with council not giving any indication they wanted an ATV ban, that won’t be an option brought forward in the future.
Mayor Kent Muench thanked administration for their work they did around the public engagement. “For Martensville, this is pretty impressive, so I thank you for that,” he added.
As part of the public consultation, survey respondents were asked about what areas of the City of Martensville they typically ride ATVs, quads or other unlicensed vehicles in. Of the 485 responses received to this question, the majority (344) indicated the northeast quadrant of the city is the busiest spot for ridership.