Edmonton city council approves new Public Spaces Bylaw with amendments

Edmonton City Hall can be seen on Nov. 5, 2024. (Jeremy Thompson/CTV News Edmonton)

Edmonton’s city council has approved a new bylaw that seeks to modernize the management of public spaces.

The Public Spaces Bylaw consolidates bylaws that dealt with parkland, transit and public places into one.

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“Our city has transformed, and it’s crucial that bylaws evolve too, to maintain the health, safety and wellness of our community,” said Michelle Plouffe, chief people officer and city solicitor, in a news release.

“These updates will help Edmontonians enjoy parks, river valleys and transit facilities safely and freely.”

Some of the provisions include:

• Updating permit requirements for special events on city-owned property with 100 or more attendees. The bylaw clarifies it will not be applied in a manner to prevent the exercise of fundamental freedoms guaranteed by the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms, such as lawful protests;
• The bylaw will continue to prohibit the feeding of wildlife in public spaces. An exception was introduced for feral cats to allow for collaborative input from community partners to establish best practices that effectively manage feral cat populations;
• A new ‘Direction to Stop’ authority for bylaw enforcement officers to target “minor infractions.” This will include “nominal fines” of $25 for certain offences;
• The regulation of visible drug use, including visible possession, display, use or consumption of controlled substances. “Nominal fines” are included to “act as a deterrent without imposing harsh penalties, especially for vulnerable populations”;
• Reinforcing that transit spaces should be used solely for transit purposes and “targets the regulation of specific behaviours that interfere with the physical and psychological safety of others.”

The direction-to-stop authority states that a person “must stop displaying, using, or consuming alcohol or a controlled substance” or “stop smoking or vaping” in a public space if told to do so by a bylaw enforcement officer.

Work on the new bylaw began in 2022 and in that time, more than 6,500 Edmontonians provided input on it, according to the city.

Some worried that the language of the bylaw in previous iterations was too vague and could be used by police or peace officers to target vulnerable or marginalized people.

“Many of the new or changed infractions included are outright discriminatory anti-poor measures,” Sam Mason of the Coalition for Justice and Human Rights told council in 2024. “And many target specifically those who have little other choice than to spend most of their days in public space.”

In February 2024, the bylaw was sent back to administration for further research and potential amendments.

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“Revisions and a comprehensive GBA+ review were undertaken to ensure the bylaw reflects safety expectations in public spaces and considers the needs of equity-deserving Edmontonians,” the city said in a news release.

“The city continues to prioritize educational initiatives and compliance before enforcement, working closely with community partners to support those in need.”

Other key points the city highlighted includes simplifying the regulatory process for food trucks and updating regulations for sidewalk cycling based on newer research.

The bylaw is set to take effect on May 12.

With files from CTV News Edmonton’s Craig Ellingson, Karyn Mulcahy, Jeremy Thompson and Alex Antoneshyn