Three years ago, I owned my mobile home in Guardian Village on Grant Road. When I lived there, it was kind of peaceful and pleasant park to live in until some neighbours to the left of me moved in.
Things were going okay, until the lady started having fires in her back yard and close to the giant fir trees that separate our park property from the people in behind us.
Bylaws do not exist in this town. I have called the fire chief many times and he would show up, and tell her to put the fire out. No warnings, fines or anything. Three days later, she would light up the back yard again with her fires from burning couches, futons, mattresses, construction site debris and many more dangerous chemicals that polluted the air. She did not care how high this fire got, as soon as it started going she would go inside. Again, I would phone the fire chief and he would arrive and same thing again, he would tell her to put the fire out and of course, no warnings or ticket. The fire chief told me that this was not his department, it was up to the Bylaw officer to deal with it. So I called the bylaw officer and talked to her, she told me to send pictures, so I did, and the bylaw officer came over once and that was it. The bylaw officer did not pursue this issue, so my neighbour, once again lit the back yard up with her fires. I called the fire department on this lady five times and nothing was ever done.
So as we can see Dan Tennant, you are absolutely right that the Sooke bylaws are not for all. They are for certain people and certain people only.
So ask yourself, what are bylaws for if nobody wants to do anything to enforce them? Look at when people dump their garbage and crap on other people’s property, the bylaw officer and the police won’t do anything. Police ask for pictures and license plate numbers, but they don’t do anything about illegal dumping.
Again, what are bylaws good for if they are not enforced and dealt with?
C.J. Malooney
Sooke