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Talk About Being Un-Canadian!

1K views 13 replies 12 participants last post by  adagio 
#1 ·
Seriously, there are too many city councils who think it's their lot in life to "by-law" their communities to death.

They should concentrate on providing quality services for reasonable taxes and stop it already with the social engineering.

City takes aim at hockey nets in front of your house

CAMBRIDGE - It almost sounds un-Canadian.

Cambridge city council is ready to ban hockey nets from being left along sidewalks in front of homes.

Portable basketball nets and skateboard ramps would also be banned under a new city boulevard bylaw.

Look at any subdivision today and sports equipment is everywhere, said Coun. Rick Cowsill.

“My goodness, they’re all over the place because the kids don’t have the recreational facilities in their neighbhourhoods.”
http://www.cambridgereporter.com/news/article/148345
 
#2 ·
It isn't public service they're engaged in, but social engineering. This dork probably has a pet rec facility project he wants to see his name on--and then there's the cash to be made fining households displaying hockey nets.
 
#3 ·
They are not talking about nets that are being used - but the habit of today's children to leave their stuff all over the streets. Some of these things are virtual neighbourhood fixtures. If the by-law was banning street hockey - that is one thing, but if it is a ban on leaving junk all over the place for days on end, without being used - that's another thing.
 
#5 ·
There was a by-law ban on street hockey in my neighbhourhood once. One specific issue occurred on my street, and eventually became a national media event. The family that called by-law to ticket the dozen or so 7-12 year olds for playing street hockey in a cul-de-sac eventually moved away.

I understand the idea of wanting to enforce a by-law which punishes those for not picking up their mess once finished playing. It is not all that hard to bring your net to the side of the house.
 
#4 ·
It says "being left along sidewalks". I dunno if I was 16 and some stupid power tripping cop came around and tried to take our hockey net he might get some sticks to the legs.
 
#6 ·
If it's a problem having stuff left on sidewalks, all kids have to do is move the stuff onto their lawn or driveway. Having it become necessary (perhaps) to have a by-law to deal with this might indicate people were getting hurt. Imagine your kid is riding their bike in the neighbourhood and comes upon a bike ramp taking up the whole sidewalk; it's either fun, or it ends badly.
 
#7 ·
On the contrary I think this is very, very Canadian. Peace, Order and good Government is very much a part of being Canadian.

Peace no fighting or roaring cars street racing

Order: professional civil service and PICK-UP Your toys,

Government: By-Law to enforce peace and order in this case. :D
 
#8 ·
Having been guilty of playing street hockey back in the day, as an adult I can now see what all of the fuss was about. Last thing I want is one of those orange balls hitting my car/house/window. I'm old now, and I know the little buggers can run faster than me so I'll be out of pocket for the expense.

As for kids leaving their crap out, Cambridge must have a good neighborhood watch crew because if that happened where I grew up, it would be gone the next day. Which was always a good lesson for us as kids to learn, put your crap away.
 
#9 ·
As for kids leaving their crap out, Cambridge must have a good neighborhood watch crew because if that happened where I grew up, it would be gone the next day. Which was always a good lesson for us as kids to learn, put your crap away.
In my old neighbourhood, either some drunk dude would run over it with a big old GMC, or some drunk dude would run over it with a big old Ford Custom Cab, and very occassionally, some stoned hippie would run over it with either an Econoline, a Fargo, or a VW Transporter, or a half asleep steelworker coming off of night shift would destroy it with the mightiest weapon of all, a Chrysler New Yorker.

The kids up the street used to leave their junk out all the time, though nothing happened until their basketball net toppled over and was run over by a bus, followed by two fire trucks. Then some stoner teenagers used what was left to bash in the kids dad's company van.
 
#12 ·
On more careful reading, it isn't about leaving the nets in front of the house. The writer chose the words "along the sidewalk" but the council meant specifically on the little city-owned patch on the street side of the sidewalk.
 
#13 ·
Toronto has a by-law addressing the problem of those basketball nets. MyHogtown: If You Put Hoop In Laneway Kids Will Use It (But Eventually City of Toronto Will Tell You To Move It)

Personally I think the new free standing ones are ugly and potentially dangerous if they get knocked over into the roadway. Was never an issue when it was bolted to the top of the garage.....

Then there are the really insane ones, for example when we first bought our house I read in the paperwork that outdoor cloths lines were not permitted and sure enough not one in our area just the energy sucking whir of dryers.
 
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