Bylaws

Firefighters check the interior of a house during a fire at 52 Athletic St. where a body was found in August, sparking an RCMP homicide investigation. Nanaimo city council approved designating the site as a nuisance property Wednesday, Sept. 21. (News Bulletin file photo)

Nuisance designation slapped on Nanaimo property that was scene of fire and homicide

City has dealt with complaints at Athletic Street home since 2019

 

Community safety officer Ron Litzenberger, left, watches as Wally Taylor, Nanaimo bylaws officer, talks with people who have camped along a sidewalk on Victoria Road early Monday, Aug. 15, and asks them to take down the campsite. (Chris Bush/News Bulletin)

Community safety officers set out to build relationships, respect in Nanaimo’s downtown

CSOs now training with program to be fully implemented next month

 

Nanaimo city council, at a meeting this week, voted to repeal a bylaw relating to public morals which prevented people from making use of any “profane, obscene, blasphemous or grossly insulting language.” (City of Nanaimo image)

Nanaimo repeals 130-year-old bylaw banning drunken singing

City of Nanaimo retains bylaw banning nuclear weapons, but takes several other bylaws off the books

 

Vacation rentals are on the rise in Ucluelet, displacing long-term residents. (Ucluelet council May 31 agenda)

Ucluelet proposes bylaw change to tackle Airbnb surge

The zoning bylaw change would shift future short-term rentals to long-term housing

Vacation rentals are on the rise in Ucluelet, displacing long-term residents. (Ucluelet council May 31 agenda)
Nicolas Picq, with his dog Jazz, holds the ticket he was issued on April 25 for using his van as accommodation in Tofino. (Nora O’Malley photo)

Tofino restaurant worker fighting ticket for sleeping in van

The man says the medication he takes for bipolar disorder makes him drowsy

Nicolas Picq, with his dog Jazz, holds the ticket he was issued on April 25 for using his van as accommodation in Tofino. (Nora O’Malley photo)
People are pictured walking their leashed dogs along Willows Beach, where dogs are restricted from May to September, on May 18, 2022. Dog and wildlife advocates continue to disagree over how much beach access dog owners should get in Greater Victoria’s migratory bird sanctuaries. (Evert Lindquist/News Staff)

Unleashing the hounds: Conflict over dogs on Greater Victoria beaches persists

Federal report targets dispute about bird sanctuary in Oak Bay, Saanich

People are pictured walking their leashed dogs along Willows Beach, where dogs are restricted from May to September, on May 18, 2022. Dog and wildlife advocates continue to disagree over how much beach access dog owners should get in Greater Victoria’s migratory bird sanctuaries. (Evert Lindquist/News Staff)
Sooke council is delaying a plan for a tree-protection bylaw until after the municipal election. (Kevin Laird - Sooke News Mirror)

Sooke tree bylaw likely delayed until after fall election

‘The community needs time to look at all the options,’ says councillor

Sooke council is delaying a plan for a tree-protection bylaw until after the municipal election. (Kevin Laird - Sooke News Mirror)
Rory MacIver, who lives near the pedestrian overpass that crosses the old Island Highway at Norwell Drive and Jingle Pot Road, says demonstrators are gathering on the bridge more frequently and inciting passing motorists to honk their horns. (Chris Bush/News Bulletin)

Vancouver Islander fed up with ongoing horn-honking in support of overpass flag-wavers

City’s noise bylaw does not restrict roadside demonstrators from inciting others to make noise

Rory MacIver, who lives near the pedestrian overpass that crosses the old Island Highway at Norwell Drive and Jingle Pot Road, says demonstrators are gathering on the bridge more frequently and inciting passing motorists to honk their horns. (Chris Bush/News Bulletin)
Joanne Turner’s sign near St. David Street and Brighton Avenue after pulling more than 100 dog poop bags from the blackberry bushes. (Photos by Joanne Turner)

Neighbour steamed at dog excrement left to hang in Oak Bay

Bylaw prescribes $50 fine for leaving dog poop behind

Joanne Turner’s sign near St. David Street and Brighton Avenue after pulling more than 100 dog poop bags from the blackberry bushes. (Photos by Joanne Turner)
The District of Sooke is reviewing its building permit approval process. (Kevin Laird - Sooke News Mirror)

Bylaw change could hold key to building permit backlog in Sooke

It currently takes district planners up to three months to approve permits

The District of Sooke is reviewing its building permit approval process. (Kevin Laird - Sooke News Mirror)
Residents at 430 5th St. are not happy with early morning noise generated by street sweepers and leaf blowers. Scott Stanfield photo

Sleepless Vancouver Islanders grumpy over early morning street sweeping

Courtenay resident upset about street cleaning starting around 5:30 a.m. twice a week

Residents at 430 5th St. are not happy with early morning noise generated by street sweepers and leaf blowers. Scott Stanfield photo
Victoria is moving towards banning the sale of dogs, cats and rabbit from stores in an effort to limit impulse buying. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)

Victoria looks to ban sale of dogs, cats, rabbits in stores

Bylaw change intended to reduce impulse buying, abandoned pets

Victoria is moving towards banning the sale of dogs, cats and rabbit from stores in an effort to limit impulse buying. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)
Air conditioning units atop The Summit at Quadra Village on Hillside Avenue have been the source of a hum that some nearby residents say is making life at home miserable in summer. The hum has now contributed to a change coming to Victoria’s noise bylaw. (Photo dHK Architects)

High-pitched hum from Victoria long-term care home helps spur noise bylaw change

Noise from community care facilities will no longer be exempt from bylaw rules

Air conditioning units atop The Summit at Quadra Village on Hillside Avenue have been the source of a hum that some nearby residents say is making life at home miserable in summer. The hum has now contributed to a change coming to Victoria’s noise bylaw. (Photo dHK Architects)
A petition, with hundreds of signatures, wants to see those violating Victoria’s noise bylaw at convoy events get ticketed. Pictured are vehicles driving through downtown on route to the B.C. legislature for a demonstration against pandemic health measures. (Black Press Media file photo)

Petition calls for Victoria to enforce noise bylaw on Freedom Convoy protest honking

More than 600 people had signed as of Friday, says constant horn use affecting residents

A petition, with hundreds of signatures, wants to see those violating Victoria’s noise bylaw at convoy events get ticketed. Pictured are vehicles driving through downtown on route to the B.C. legislature for a demonstration against pandemic health measures. (Black Press Media file photo)
People living illegally in RVs in rural areas of the Valley is on the increase as affordable housing crisis continues. (File photo)

Complaints spike about people illegally living in RVs in rural Cowichan areas

Affordable housing crisis cited as the cause at Cowichan Valley Regional District meeting

People living illegally in RVs in rural areas of the Valley is on the increase as affordable housing crisis continues. (File photo)
Gas-powered leaf blower use could become a thing of the past in the city of Victoria. (Black Press Media file photo)

Muffling Victoria’s heavy noise emitters could put gas-powered leaf blowers on shelf

First review of city’s noise bylaw since 2003 aims to address most complained about noise sources

Gas-powered leaf blower use could become a thing of the past in the city of Victoria. (Black Press Media file photo)
With few changes in almost two decades, Victoria’s noise bylaw has become hard to enforce as the city faces a rising number of complaints. (Black Press Media file photo)

Victoria councillors to get an earful on outdated, ineffective noise bylaw

Hospitality venues, construction, garbage collection among the most common complaint sources

With few changes in almost two decades, Victoria’s noise bylaw has become hard to enforce as the city faces a rising number of complaints. (Black Press Media file photo)
Allan Chapman holds a decibel reader application up to the shared fence on his property where a neighbouring heat pump is immediately behind it. The 54.5-decibel reading is above Saanich bylaw limits, and hovers around this number day and night, said Chapman. (Megan Atkins-Baker/News Staff)

Saanich resident questions bylaw governing heat pump noise

Cadboro Bay man says noise from neighbour’s heat pump causing a disturbance

Allan Chapman holds a decibel reader application up to the shared fence on his property where a neighbouring heat pump is immediately behind it. The 54.5-decibel reading is above Saanich bylaw limits, and hovers around this number day and night, said Chapman. (Megan Atkins-Baker/News Staff)
(Westerly file photo)

Bear deaths in Tofino-Ucluelet draw anger throughout province

District offices in Tofino and Ucluelet working on new wildlife attractant bylaws

(Westerly file photo)
The University Heights redevelopment project is moving forward again, as Saanich council voted to send an amended proposal to public hearing. (Photo courtesy Wesbild Holdings Ltd.)

Split vote by Saanich council sends amended plan for University Heights to public hearing

Responsibility for underground hydro lines a key focus at special council meeting

The University Heights redevelopment project is moving forward again, as Saanich council voted to send an amended proposal to public hearing. (Photo courtesy Wesbild Holdings Ltd.)