Vancouver Island community prohibited use of roadways for anything other than access in and out, for safety reasons

This article is more than 2 years old

This article is more than 2 years old

A neighbourhood in western Canada has been accused of declaring a “war on fun” after it passed a bylaw banning all outside play from the street, prohibiting children from activities such as chalk drawing, bike riding and hockey.

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Homeowners at Artisan Gardens, a small housing development in the municipality of Chemainus on Vancouver Island, manage the shared roadways into their quiet cul-de-sac through a council.

Last month, the council voted 15-4 to ban the use of the roadways for anything other than access to and from the community, for safety reasons.

“A roadway may not be used for play, including hockey, baseball, basketball, skateboarding, chalk artistry, bicycling or other sports and recreational activities,” the bylaw reads.

News of the restriction catapulted the small housing development – made up mostly of retirees and a handful of young families – into national headlines, with one accusing the neighbourhood of declaring a “war on fun”.

Parents in the community voiced their anger and shock at the decision. “We’re being told to get our children outside and be active, and now we’re being told we can’t do that outside our own homes,” said Christa Howard.

Her three-year-old daughter, who has been learning to ride her bicycle on the road in front of the family home, is never out without parental supervision, she said. “The kids are road smart and know when a car is coming to yell ‘car’ and everyone clears to the sides.”

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Pointing to the tight cluster of homes in the neighbourhood and the vehicles often parked alongside the road, Howard said she understood the push to bar sports like ball hockey or baseball. But she would love to see the children be able to ride their bikes or play with sidewalk chalk, she said.

Vandy Noble, the council’s vice-president, said the bylaw was rooted in safety. “There is a blind corner here, and so there had been a few near misses with cars with the kids riding their bikes,” she told the Vancouver Sun.

“But the bylaw is a bit harsh,” she acknowledged. “We’re trying to calm down the situation and reach a compromise.”