INNISFAIL – Local community peace officers could soon be on the hunt to nab speeders on sections of provincial numbered highways that run within the corporate borders of town.
On Dec. 12 at town council’s regular meeting, Gary Leith, manager of fire and protective services for the Town of Innisfail, presented a report asking council to approve an application to the provincial justice and solicitor general ministry to expand the authority of Innisfail community peace officers to include numbered provincial highways with speeds above 90 kilometres an hour (km/h) within Innisfail’s corporate boundaries.
These include a short section of Highway 2A that enters Innisfail from the northeast and becomes 42nd Avenue, and a long curving section of Highway 54 from Highway 2 in the east and running past the Innisfail Golf Club in the northwest side of town.
Council unanimously approved the motion.
“It’s about changing the culture of driving, coming from what is 100 kilometres an hour speed limit and hitting the town speed limits of 60. These create some issues,” Leith told the Albertan on Dec. 19. “If we can address the speeds before they get to town the intent is to make everything safer.”
Leith told council on Dec. 12 the town’s Level 1 peace officers currently have no authority to take enforcement action on roads within Innisfail’s corporate boundaries where the speed limit exceeds 90 km/hr.
He noted highways 54 and 2A are used daily by residents, visitors, and officers when accessing parts of Innisfail.
If Innisfail peace officers witness a driving infraction that requires intervention in a 100 km/h zone their only current option is to contact the RCMP, Leith told council.
Council was told that under the peace officer program, the Town of Innisfail can apply to the provincial justice and solicitor general ministry to expand its authority to include numbered highways with speeds above 90 km/hr.
Leith said the town’s initiative has the support of the local RCMP detachment.
His report said the intent of the enhanced peace officer duties is to provide an opportunity to influence the behavior of drivers coming to and from Innisfail, notably through specific areas of concern. These include:
• Highway 54 at Lakewood Drive
• Highway 54 at 42nd Street
• Highway 54 at 42nd Avenue and Willowridge Road
Coun. Jason Heistad asked if the C & E Trail that heads north within town limits from 50 Avenue would be an issue.
Leith said it was not as the speed limit within town boundaries is 80 km/h, not 100 km/h.
“They’re doing a hundred, guaranteed,” replied Heistad.
Mayor Jean Barclay called the motion a “good step”, noting the town now has two community peace officers who could soon have authority to hand out speeding tickets on provincial sections of highways 2A and 54.
“I was not aware they (CPOs) were unable to do that at that speed limit. So, yes that's good that we can expand the service,” said Barclay, adding the initiative fits in well with the town’s longstanding quest since 2018 to have Highway 54 speed limits reduced as it bypasses the west-side Bella Vista subdivision.
Last summer, the town announced a provincial safety review of the problematic stretch of Highway 54 bypassing the 127-acre Bella Vista subdivision recommended a new pedestrian crossing and a speed reduction from 100 kilometres an hour to 70.
“As Bellavista continues to build out, we have in the budget for next year a connector sidewalk and I think this fits in well with our plans in the future that hopefully will bring a reduction and speed along that stretch of road and just make it a bit safer for the residents over there,” said Barclay.
Leith told the Albertan he expects the application process with the province to move quickly.
“We have a policy for the enforcement on those highways currently ready to go. My intent is to open this by early January,” said Leith.
