Full Resource - City of Edmonton

Student Resource
Bylaws &
Enforcement
set the context
explore and research
decide and take action
Local governments use bylaws to ensure that everyone follows
the same rules to look after their private property and businesses,
their pets and the shared spaces in the city. These bylaws are based
on community standards, which are behaviours and conduct
that everyone is expected to follow. Bylaws are used to help keep
neighbourhoods and communities safe and clean.
What caption could you
write for this photograph
Bylaws also help to avoid or limit harmful situations. They identify
the responsibilities that all residents of the city have. Bylaws also
set rules to ensure that people’s behaviours and actions do not
negatively affect other people or their right to a good quality of life.
It is important that all bylaws, no matter what their purpose, are
enforceable – in other words, people must be able to follow them.
This means that bylaws should be based on rules that most people
believe in, agree with and are willing to take responsibility for
by obeying them. If the majority of residents do not believe in a
bylaw, they can voice their opinion to their communities and local
government to try to change the bylaw.
When residents choose not to follow the rules in bylaws,
the local government must enforce the rules. This can
include the use of penalties or fines to encourage residents
to comply with, or obey, the bylaw.
Why do you think all bylaws need to be enforceable
How do these ideas apply to the City of Edmonton’s bylaws
The City of Edmonton is responsible for providing bylaw
enforcement services for the community. The Community
Standards department develops new bylaws and enforces
existing ones. Professional enforcement officers protect
the health, safety and welfare of citizens. They are trained
to enforce bylaws in a fair and objective way while
respecting people’s rights.
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