This past Wednesday, January 24th, the council agenda once again had the “dogs in cemeteries” item on it. This was on the agenda of the previous council meeting, but no decision was reached, as council ended up deadlocked in a 3-3 tie. I was absent from that meeting making a presentation before the Standing Committee on Heritage, Infrastructure and Cultural Policy regarding the Regional Governance Study and, therefore, unable to cast the deciding vote.
I feel it was a nice twist of fate that the vote was delayed, because in the interim, many residents took the opportunity to write to council expressing their thoughts on whether dogs should or should not be allowed in Town cemeteries. The majority of emails I received wanted residents to continue to be able to walk their dogs through the Town’s cemeteries. The emails voicing the opinion that no dogs should be allowed in our cemeteries were quite passionate, and spoke of details that were very disturbing.
One resident stated that because of the behaviour she had witnessed, she had changed the way her remains were to be dealt with after her death. She has seen dogs running off leash defecating and urinating on gravesites.
“Totally disgusting behaviour on the part of the owners” she wrote, and I cannot agree more. How anyone cannot treat a cemetery as the hallowed ground it is, with profound respect, is beyond my grasp.
That being said, others stated that over the span of several years, they had not witnessed any disrespectful behaviour being carried out during their walk through the cemetery. I believe both residents are being truthful, perhaps the difference being in the time of day? I don’t know.
I believe both residents are being truthful, perhaps the difference being in the time of day?
Before council voted, I asked CAO Cribbs if it was possible to increase the time when enforcement could be on-site, and could council instruct Bylaw officers that there is to be no negotiating the level of fines with anyone caught disobeying the bylaw—meaning anyone acting outside the rules would pay the full penalty. The CAO answered in the affirmative to both queries. Deputy Mayor John Wink also wanted to add that all dogs must be on a leash and must be kept on the pathways.
Council agreed with all the additions to the bylaw, so the Clerk called the vote. Once again council was deadlocked at 3 votes for and 3 votes against, so my vote for allowing dogs to be walked in our cemeteries decided the outcome.
As an afterthought, I asked CAO Cribbs whether in the event that Bylaw noticed a level of non-compliance with this new bylaw could council reverse this decision? He stated that yes, there is a policy that allows council to revisit and overturn any decision they have made.
I want to go on record and state that if it is found that there is any level of non-compliance with this bylaw, I will have no choice but to change my vote. I am asking all residents to please treat our cemeteries with the respect they deserve. It is not just the dogs that will be on a short leash!
