New traffic bylaw reshapes road-use rules in Alberta municipality

Where you park your camper, whether your cattle are grazing on a road allowance and how quickly you must shovel your sidewalk — a newly passed bylaw touches on a wide range of everyday issues across the MD of Pincher Creek.

Council approved Bylaw 1365-25 on May 12, establishing updated rules governing traffic, parking, recreational vehicles, off-highway vehicles and the use of municipal road allowances.

The traffic bylaw was passed following a process that began with first reading in September 2025 and included a public open house, legal review and multiple rounds of amendments.

The bylaw is intended to give the MD clearer authority to regulate traffic, parking, vehicles, animals and pedestrian activity while supporting public safety, property protection and the orderly use of public spaces.

In its report to council, administration noted the move was driven by growth of the MD’s enforcement services department and the need to modernize existing rules to better serve and protect ratepayers.

A public hearing was not legally required — the Municipal Government Act mandates hearings for land-use bylaws and rezoning applications, not traffic bylaws. The MD chose to actively seek public feedback anyway.

The bylaw came back to council in December 2025, but administration determined further changes were needed, particularly around road allowances and clarity of enforcement and appeal processes.

A council committee reviewed the amended bylaw in January 2026 and legal counsel reviewed the road allowance provisions and two schedules attached to the document.

The changes made after the legal review included updated terminology, replacing “Lessor/Lesee” with “Grantor/Grantee.” The termination notice period for road allowance permits from three days to 30 days, in line with the Traffic Safety Act.

What the bylaw means for residents

For most residents, the bylaw’s day-to-day implications are straightforward.

Provisions include restrictions on draining vehicle fluids onto highways, placing debris or obstructions on roads and sidewalks, and creating hazards that interfere with traffic or pedestrian movement.

Property owners adjacent to sidewalks are required to clear snow, ice, dirt and other obstructions within 24 hours of accumulation. The bylaw also prohibits extension cords from being placed across sidewalks or driveways in a way that could create a hazard.

The municipality has authority to remove obstructions or impound vehicles and equipment that block highways or create unsafe conditions, with associated costs recoverable from the responsible party.

Heavy vehicles face their own restrictions. They are generally prohibited from parking in the MD’s hamlets — Beaver Mines, Lowland Heights, Lundbreck, Pincher Station and Twin Butte — unless they are actively loading or unloading, or are construction equipment parked next to a work site.

Vehicles equipped with metal cleats or tracks are barred from paved highways to prevent road damage.

The bylaw also places restrictions on recreational vehicles. Unattached RVs may not be parked on highways, while attached ones may only be parked adjacent to the owner’s residence between May 1 and Oct. 15.

Recreational vehicles parked on highways are limited to 72 consecutive hours and must then be removed for at least 48 hours before returning.

Camping or residing in recreational vehicles on highways, ditches, road allowances or other public places is prohibited outside approved campground facilities.

Off-highway vehicles, including quads and similar machines, are generally prohibited from operating on municipal highways unless used for agricultural work, snow removal or under a special permit issued by the municipality. Any off-highway vehicle operating under those exceptions must be registered and insured under the Traffic Safety Act.

One of the most detailed sections of the bylaw deals with the use of developed and undeveloped municipal road allowances, the strips of publicly owned land that run alongside or between properties in the municipality.

The bylaw prohibits residents from developing, irrigating, farming or otherwise using road allowances for agricultural purposes without municipal authorization. Fencing, corrals and barriers are also prohibited unless approved through a Temporary Road Allowance Permit.

The permit system formalizes how livestock grazing and certain agricultural uses may occur on road allowances.

Insurance requirements

Applications must identify the location, intended use and fencing plans. Permit holders must also carry at least $2 million in general liability insurance and install a public access sign at the gate.

The bylaw requires livestock on road allowances to be secured using electric fencing and gates must remain unlocked to maintain public access.

It also creates an appeal process through the Enforcement Services Appeal Board for applicants whose permits are denied or cancelled.

The bylaw outlines enforcement powers available to peace officers, including issuing municipal orders, violation tickets and towing or impounding vehicles involved in contraventions.

For unauthorized agricultural activity on road allowances, the municipality may order corrective action, remove equipment or livestock and recover costs from the responsible person if compliance orders are ignored.

In cases involving livestock placed on road allowances without approval, the municipality may capture and confine animals in accordance with Alberta’s Stray Animals Act.

The bylaw establishes penalties for offences ranging from parking violations to unauthorized agricultural use of road allowances.

Specified penalties start from $75 for some traffic-control offences. Fines for road allowance violations start at $375 and can reach $8,000 for failing to comply with a municipal order affecting more than 15 acres.

Across all sections of the bylaw, penalties can reach as high as $10,000 upon conviction, with repeat offenders facing doubled or tripled fines within a 12-month period.

The bylaw passed at the May 12 meeting with all attending members in favour. Coun. Tony Bruder was absent.