York Regional Police to patrol in Vaughan parks

YorkRegion.com
June 5, 2014
By Adam Martin-Robbins

When temperatures start soaring so to do the number of calls to police, and the city, about off-road vehicles racing along residential streets and tearing up local parks.

That is why York Region Police, in partnership with the City of Vaughan, York Region EMS and Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA), have launched Operation Safe Trails and Parks.

“I worked here for seven years, prior to moving on to my job in the traffic unit, and one of our biggest complaints in the spring time, is regarding ATVs, pocket bikes and dirt bikes,” York Regional Police Sgt. Jason McIlveen said at Woodbridge’s Rainbow Creek Park last Friday.

The joint-forces initiative aims, in part, to educate off-road vehicle riders about Vaughan’s ban on operating dirt bikes, ATVs, pocket bikes or minibikes, and any other types of motorized bikes or scooters, on public property.

Those types of vehicles are strictly prohibited in parks, woodlots and open fields, that are not privately owned, as well as on roads or highways within the city.

“At the end of the day, it’s the owner’s responsibility to do his own due diligence to find out where he can operate one of these things, legally,” McIlveen said. “They can, in York Region, ride these machines on private property, provided they have insurance and they have a helmet on and they have the consent of the landowner. It gets a little further complicated, because on their own property they can operate (these vehicles) without insurance... There’s a lot of little nuance.”

Those who violate the rules can face charges under the Highway Traffic Act, Off-Road Vehicles Act, the Trespass to Property Act and city bylaws with fines ranging from $60 up to nearly $500, depending on the charge.

The initiative also aims to raise awareness about the potential dangers of using off-road vehicles in parks and on trails.

“Another big issue that we have, as well, is drinking and drugging with these machines, and that’s right across the province,” McIlveen said. “When people go to operate these things on a trail system, it’s quite common for them to park and have a couple of pops during the launch hour and then they’re operating (these vehicles), possibly impaired.”

“If they crash on a trail system, they may not be found for hours,” he added.

That’s the message Vaughan Fire and Rescue Service and York Region Emergency Service are trying to drive home as well.

Both agencies have specialized vehicles designed to handle rugged terrain, still rescue operations in parks, woodlots and conservation areas can prove difficult, time consuming and costly.

People using the city’s trails and parks for hiking and biking are reminded to take precautions before heading out.

“We’d like people to pair up when they go out; … let someone know where they’re going; how long they’re going for; (and) the route that they’re taking,” Deputy fire chief Deryn Rizzi said.

If you drive to the park, it’s wise to leave a map of your planned route on your vehicle’s dashboard, she said, and take along a cellphone and emergency kit.

You should also stay on marked trails and know your surroundings so if you get into trouble and need to call 911 for help, you can provide a detailed description of your location.

TRCA officials, meanwhile, are seeking get the message out about the extensive damage off-road vehicles can do to the natural environment. “We’re seeing increased demand when it comes to ATV and off-road vehicle traffic on our areas so we’re happy to be here partnering with various other agencies to get the message out there is no operation of any off-road vehicles permitted on our properties,” Brian Moyle, TRCA’s manager of enforcement and compliance, said. “It’s for their own safety, the safety of our passive recreational users and, obviously, the destruction they’re doing on these very sensitive lands that we’re trying to protect.”