It is now against a bylaw to loiter in a park or other outdoor facility owned by the City of Timmins between 11:00pm and 7:00am.
It’s called the Parkland Bylaw, meant to curtail nuisance behaviours.
City clerk and community services director Steph Palmateer says the main aim is people staying in tents and people using drugs and leaving messes.
“The third thing it did,” he goes on, “is it actually, if you’ve committed an offence, it provides us the opportunity to have the people removed from the site.”
Palmateer says it’s council’s response to a lot of requests. He says it’s unfortunate that parents don’t feel they can take young children to parks, because they don’t feel safe.
“And we don’t want that. In the city of Timmins, people should feel safe in our community and that’s what we’re trying to accomplish here.”
The bylaw took effect when it was passed at Tuesday’s council meeting.
Repeat offenders will go to court and be fined in the $300.00 range on conviction.