Edmontonians to follow new set of rules for public behaviour as council approves new bylaw

Edmonton City Council on Tuesday approved the Public Spaces bylaw that sets out what is — and is not — allowed on city streets and governs behaviour in city parks, transit, sidewalks, and other places.

The City manages more than 250 bylaws, ranging from business licences to annual tax levies. On Tuesday, three major bylaws were consolidated – Parks, Transit, and Public Places – some of which date back nearly 65 years.

“I think we have some really old bylaws, some that are older than I am. Some of which were designed with only one thing in mind, which is penalizing bad behaviour,” said Andrew Knack, the councillor of Ward Nakota Isga.

Knack says he’s heard the concerns from Edmontonians following a public hearing on the bylaw earlier this month.

This makes some behaviours new bylaw offences tied to $25 in fines offences including spitting in public, visibly using drugs, panhandling by roads, and feeding wildlife in public places.

“Take our transit peace officers. They’re only issuing tickets for fare evasion seven per cent of the time, why? Because they’re exercising discretion,” said Knack.

Michelle Plouffe, Chief People Officer and City Solicitor said, “Our city has transformed, and it’s crucial that bylaws evolve too, to maintain the health, safety and wellness of our community. These updates will help Edmontonians enjoy parks, river valleys, and transit facilities safely and freely.”

The bylaws will take effect May 12th and will simplify the legal framework and eliminate redundant or confusing provisions.

Councillor Micheal Janz told media at City Hall on Tuesday, that with over 5,000 homeless Edmontonians, the City legislation means nothing without provincial support to back it up. 

“It’s always frustrating to see that there’s not the support coming through in healthcare and housing to take care of their own responsibility,” said Janz.

Key updates include:

• FOOD TRUCKS- To support local businesses, regulatory process for food trucks has been simplified. This revision reduces red tape and facilitates easier operations for food truck entrepreneurs across the city.
• EVENT PERMITS: To ensure public safety, permit requirements for special events have been expanded to all City-owned properties and have been revised to be applicable for events with 100 or more attendees, up from a 50-person threshold. This will not be applied to lawful protests.
• WILDLIFE PROTECTION: This bylaw continues to prohibit the feeding of wildlife in public spaces. A new exemption for feral cats has been introduced.
• BICYCLES: Children under 16 can continue to ride on sidewalks.
• ‘DIRECTION TO STOP’ AND NOMINAL FINES: This measure is complemented by nominal fines of $25 for certain offences.
• REGULATION OF VISIBLE DRUG USE: To enable non-criminal regulation of drug use, the bylaw prohibits the visible possession, display, use, or consumption of controlled substances in public spaces.
• TRANSIT SPACE REGULATIONS: The bylaw reinforces that transit spaces should be used solely for transit purposes.

The bylaw review was initiated in 2022 and was informed by public input from over 6,500 Edmontonians.