Coun. Terra Lennox-Zepp has been a vocal opponent of the bylaw. (Alison Sandstrom/paNOW Staff)

By Alison Sandstrom

Expanded bylaw

P.A. establishes curfew on walkways, exempts Rotary Trail

Feb 25, 2020 | 8:12 AM

Prince Albert city council has banned access to public walkways between 12 a.m. and 6 a.m., adding a last minute amendment to exempt the Rotary Trail.

Council gave the curfew, aimed at combatting property crime, final approval on Monday night, despite the fervent opposition of one councillor who said it could lead to racial profiling and infringe on residents’ civil liberties.

Police can now stop, search and ID anyone found on walkways at night. The measure is an extension of a curfew already in place in the city’s parks that carries a $500 fine. According to the P.A. Police Service, 46 tickets have been issued under that bylaw since it came into force in 2006.

Coun. Terra Lennox-Zepp has been a vocal opponent of the walkways curfew since the idea for it and a similar measure for back alleys were introduced in August. At Monday night’s council meeting, she spoke for over six uninterrupted minutes repeating her concerns.

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“There are two different people walking down a walkway past curfew and they’re otherwise being law-abiding, who’s going to be considered suspicious enough to call the police,” Coun. Lennox-Zepp questioned during the meeting. “This bylaw can contribute to racism in our city.”

Her colleagues disagreed. Coun. Dennis Ogrodnick said he didn’t see how the bylaw could be racist and told council it was important for public safety.

“People are fed up,” he said. “And you know what? I really don’t care if a criminal is going to feel bad because he or she got stopped.”

Rotary trail not subject to curfew

Meanwhile Coun. Don Cody asked councillors to exempt the Rotary Trail from the curfew, echoing concerns outlined by a letter from a resident.

“We just spent 19 years of our life here working on the Rotary Trail,” he told the meeting. “And now we’re going to say you can’t use the damn thing? What kind of sense is this?”

A map of walkways in the city of Prince Albert (council agenda package/City of P.A.)

Although there was some discussion of technicalities, for example in some places the trail runs through parks which are already under curfew, ultimately council agreed not to include the Rotary Trail in the bylaw.

The city solicitor noted in some places the trail runs behind people’s property in the same way a back alley would. Coun. Blake Edwards said they could always revisit a curfew on the trail at a later date.

Council voted 7-2 in favour of the curfew on walkways with only Couns. Charlene Miller and Lennox-Zepp opposed.

The city’s politicians continue to pursue a separate, more complicated curfew in the city’s back alleys. Public consultation on that measure is currently underway.

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alison.sandstrom@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @alisandstrom