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File photo of the Town of Coaldale municipal office. (Lethbridge News Now)

Coaldale’s ‘Golf Cart Bylaw’ repealed by Town Council

Jun 29, 2022 | 8:11 AM

COALDALE, AB – Golfers in Coaldale will no longer be able to ride their carts to the course, after Town Council repealed the ‘Golf Cart Bylaw’.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.

Coaldale Mayor Jack Van Rijn said, “Town Council recognizes the longstanding history of the Town’s Golf Cart Bylaw, which allowed those living on Fairway Drive – within the Land-O-Lakes golf course subdivision – the convenience of being able to drive their carts to the golf course.”

“Unfortunately, Council has a duty to uphold the laws of the land, and the Town’s legal counsel was very clear that the Town’s Golf Course Bylaw violated provincial statute. We had little choice but to repeal it,” Van Rijn stated.

However, the mayor acknowledged Council’s desire to work will all impacted individuals on an information awareness campaign for the rest of 2022. Van Rijn said, “Our intent is to promote dialogue with residents and bring awareness to this issue.”

He continued, “Legislatively, we did what we had to do. But we are committed to working with the owner of Land-O-Lakes Golf Course to ensure they can continue to operate without disruption.”

Coaldale’s Chief Administrative Officer, Kalen Hastings, added that “as part of the legislative ‘house-keeping’ process, the Town is exploring various options on how to lease a portion of those public sidewalks used as cart paths (holes #11 and #17) to Land-O-Lakes Golf Course.”

Hastings said, “This will ensure that golf course pathways are in compliance with provincial legislation. The Town’s legal counsel has confirmed that as long as proper signage is in place, and golf cart users comply with the safety requirements of the Traffic Safety Act, golf carts will be permitted to continue to cross municipal roadways for the purpose of traveling directly from one golf cart path to another.”

The ‘Golf Cart Bylaw’ can be viewed at the Town of Coaldale website.