The Reminder is making its archives back to 2003 available on our website. Please note that, due to technical limitations, archive articles are presented without the usual formatting.
ATV riders in town are acting against the recently passed by-law to allow ATVs within City Limits, Mayor Tom Therien says. The recently passed action allows ATVers to use certain roads and back alleys to get from point A out of town, instead of using a trailer and a truck. But recently, Therien has heard complaints of people using their quads against the rules of the by-law. The abuse of the privilege, which Therien notes is not all ATVers in town, could end up in the routes being changed as well as the by-law, as it was on a temporary trial basis. The by-law states that rides must adhere to the rules of the road, have plates on their ATV, wear helmets and be a liscenced driver. "But people are using (them) to get to houses," he says, noting that the majority of the people misusing the privilege are youth. As well as going to a friends' house, Therien says people are riding to the store and even restaurants. "This is not the intent. It was never the intent of the initial process," says the Mayor. He says that with people using the routes in ways other than what was intended, they are putting the whole project in jeopardy. "Some people are out there waiting for this to fail," he says. "And (the riders) are giving them all the cause they need." The RCMP will be enforcing the rules of the road, says Therien. A person "guilty of an infraction will be dealt with," says the Mayor, adding that it could come down to ruining it for everyone else. When the by-law was passed in April, Therien said he thought the project would go well. "But there are always going to be a few bad eggs," he says. On a plus side, Therien says the damage to parks has gone down substantially. The by-law came to fruition because of the people in Flin Flon and their lifestyles Ð they revolve around fishing, quadding and being outside, Therien says. "Unfortunately there are a minor number of people who think they are above the law and rules of the road."
