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By Alison Sandstrom

Recreation regulations

Street ballers no longer hooped by bylaw

Apr 22, 2021 | 12:00 PM

Basketball hoops will be allowed to remain on Prince Albert city streets when not in use, as long as they don’t interfere with traffic or present a safety hazard.

Council made the change at Wednesday’s meeting. Previously bylaw enforcement required the hoops to be pulled onto to private property when not in use.

Opening the discussion, Mayor Greg Dionne said the issue was brought forward by a resident. Following a complaint by a neighbour, bylaw officers asked the resident to remove his hoop from the street. The resident, in turn, subsequently canvassed his neighbourhood and found a dozen similarly placed hoops contravening the regulation.

“[He] asked us, ‘Okay, are we going to remove them all or, are we doing to have a discussion on what to do with these basketball hoops,’” Dionne said.

Dionne added the hoops are often difficult to move–particularly for children–because of their weight.

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Council voted unanimously to allow the hoops to stay on the streets, as long as city administration was satisfied the equipment wasn’t interfering with traffic or endangering public safety.

The city’s director of planning and development services, Craig Guidinger explained that caveat will allow the city to ensure hoops aren’t blocking essential infrastructure like storm sewers or placed in locations like busy streets where they could be dangerous for kids or drivers. On a case by case basis, staff will be allowed to ask residents to move their hoops or add reflective tape to make them more visible.

“Absolutely, let our children play basketball,” Coun. Tony Head said, appearing to sum up the general feeling around the council table. He noted he trusted city administration to make the right calls when it comes to the safety of individual hoops.

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alison.sandstrom@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @alisandstrom