Coaldale’s ‘Golf Cart Bylaw’ repealed by Town Council
COALDALE, AB – Golfers in Coaldale will no longer be able to ride their carts to the course, after Town Council repealed the ‘Golf Cart Bylaw’.
The bylaw was passed in 1987 for the purpose of regulating and controlling off-highway vehicle traffic, like golf carts, solely on Fairway Drive.
The street is located within the housing development of Land-O-Lakes Golf Course.
Council’s decision to repeal the bylaw on June 28, 2022 comes following advice from the Town’s legal counsel, which said the bylaw was offside and inconsistent with the Government of Alberta’s Traffic Safety Act. According to the advice provided by the Town’s solicitors, the Town cannot authorize the use of golf carts on a public roadway or sidewalk – no matter how long standing a bylaw governing the convenience of this practice may have existed. Golf carts technically meet the legal definition of “miniature vehicles”, which are not allowed on a public highway in Alberta. Therefore, the operation and use of golf carts must be confined to private lands or pathways.