| Established in 1926 | Claresholm, AB |
Christmas in July
Children at the Kidz Zone summer program, held at the Claresholm Day Care centre, celebrated Christmas in July with presents, festive decorations, and music usually only heard in December. Here, Sebastien Bray, 9, opens his present. Photo by Alicia Fox
Council gives curfew bylaw first reading
Rob Vogt - Local Press Writer
| Claresholm town council has given first reading to a bylaw setting out a curfew where no one 16 years of age or younger can be in a public place after 11:01 p.m. and 6 a.m. without proper guardianship or a legitimate excuse. Coun. David Moore, who chairs the town’s community standards committee, introduced the bylaw for discussion at the July 20 meeting of council. “We’ve talked about this for a long time,” Moore said of the curfew. “Due to the on-going ‘activities’ downtown. “We tried to make it fairly unrestrictive.” The bylaw allows for RCMP members and the community peace officer to take children home or issue $100 tickets to the offending children and/or their parents, but only one can be issued to the same person each day. “It gives our RCMP and our community peace officer the ability to have more control over the vandalism,” said Moore. Coun. Connie Quayle |
questioned whether people under 16 are the problem. “I think it would be the older kids, not the younger kids,” she said. Coun. Doug MacPherson, who also sits on the community standards committee, said 12 year olds shouldn’t be out after 11 p.m. anyway. “Where’s the parents?” he asked. Moore noted one of the RCMP members told him there have been 11 year olds at the 7-11 at 2 a.m. Coun. Don Leonard, who sits on the community standards committee as well, said that without a bylaw the police can’t take children home. “This gives the cops clout to act.” Quayle replied the parents who would be fined have no control over their children and a fine won’t change that. “Maybe they’ll get control,” Moore responded. “(Or) we should just turn a blind eye?” Mayor Rob Steel turned to Coun. Daryl Sutter, the fourth member of the community |
standards committee, and asked if he is supportive of this bylaw. Sutter replied he is, because the police need it to help protect the community. If children are out at 2 a.m. that is an issue for the community, and there is a potential for increased vandalism and other criminal activities. Moreover, he said it would be an eye opener to have the police come to his door with one of his children. “We’re not the only community to have this,” Leonard pointed out, referring to Okotoks, Vulcan, Fort Macleod and Nanton who have curfews. “Has it helped?” Quayle asked. “They seem to think it has,” Leonard responded. MacPherson noted he sits on committees with councillors from some of the communities Leonard mentioned. “It helps immensely,” he said. Quayle asserted a curfew won’t help the 12 year olds who are already running around. |
4913 - 2 Street West, (P.O. Box 520) Claresholm, AB T0L 0T0
Phone (403) 625-4474 Fax (403) 625-2828 Email: info@claresholmlocalpress.ca
Phone (403) 625-4474 Fax (403) 625-2828 Email: info@claresholmlocalpress.ca