Mission RCMP announced last week that it would increase enforcement in rural areas of Mission, including Stave West and the first weekend of patrols kept officers busy.
There were plenty of people in the Stave West area last Sunday as police conducted enforcement action on a number of safety and regulatory violations related to motor vehicles, off-road vehicles and boats.
The Provincial Off-Road Vehicle Act came into force last November and requires all off-road vehicles to be registered if used on Crown Land. While most users complied with these new requirements, four violation tickets were issued for unregistered ORV’s and five violation tickets were issued for no safety helmet.
Over the course of eight hours on Sunday afternoon, police issued the following:
- 17 Violation Tickets
- 4 Vehicle Inspection Notices
- 3 Canada Shipping Act Violation Notices
- 2 Notice of Driving Prohibitions
- 1 Immediate Roadside Prohibition
- 1 Criminal Code arrest for Obstruction of a Peace Officer
- 1 Criminal Code arrest for Flight From a Peace Officer
“We appreciate the support we have received from the majority of responsible recreational users in the area,” said Mission RCMP Sgt. Shaun Wright.
“We have had a number of serious and fatal incidents in the Stave West area already this year and we’re working to promote public safety and prevent additional unnecessary injuries.”
The British Columbia Land Use Policy Permission (2014) sets out the permitted uses of Crown Land by the public in the Province of BC. The public should be aware that Section 6.2.1 states that this Permission does not apply in the to Crown Land within a municipality.
The Stave West area is within the municipal boundaries of Mission and the same freedoms and permissions which may exist for the use of Crown Land outside a municipality do not apply.
2016 is expected to be a record dry year with a very high wildfire risk. Police will be enforcing the District of Mission’s Burning Bylaw which includes the Stave West area. No wood or charcoal fires are permitted in the area and are subject to a $100 penalty.
During the latter part of Summer 2015, access to the area was closed due to fire and safety concerns. Nighttime access to the area will again be closed beginning on May 20.
If the public has any questions regarding Off-Road Vehicle registration requirements they should contact ICBC.