P.E.I. resort municipality looks to develop its own bylaws

The resort municipality that includes several communities in the tourism area along the north shore of P.E.I. hopes to eventually develop bylaws to deal with dangerous properties, noise and loitering.

The provincial cabinet has given approval to the resort municipality of Stanley Bridge, Hope River, Bayview, Cavendish and North Rustico to expand some of the mattersit has jurisdiction over.

Matthew Jelley, the chair of the municipality, said there are unique issues that arise in a tourist area.

He said there are a large number of seasonal homes and cottages, and the area also hosts the Cavendish Beach Music Festival which attracts thousands of country music fans every July.

"One of the primary ones is an unsightly and vacant premises act in order to make sure that we can ensure public safety in the community from any dilapidated structures that may develop," he said.

"And then dealing with major events and things like the Cavendish Beach Music Festival, the ability to have our own noise bylaws and other kind of behaviour and nuisance ones is something that we wanted to have there in case we needed to act."

Once bylaws are developed, Jelley said, the municipal council will have to look at enforcement, which could mean hiring a bylaw enforcement officer or contracting out that work.