GORE BAY—Gore Bay council has given its support to pass a bylaw to reduce speed limits in town.
“It is all about public safety,” Ron Lane, mayor of Gore Bay told The Expositor after a council meeting last week. “There is way too much speeding taking place in town, and it is not being enforced.”
Council passed a motion to pass a bylaw that will see the speed limits reduced throughout the town to 40 kilometres per hour unless otherwise posted. A public education campaign will be in place before the bylaw is implemented.
“We have already talked about this at the (public works) committee and council level,” Mayor Lane told members of council at the meeting. “This will make it (lower speed limits) enforceable after we post the (speed limit) signage and put in place a public education campaign first.”
Mayor Lane pointed out the Town of Northeastern Manitoulin and the Islands (NEMI) has had a speed limit of 40 kilometres per hour in town in place for a number of years. “We felt it would be a good idea to reduce the speed limit in town before someone gets seriously hurt. I’m amazed there haven’t been more accidents. It is crazy the speeds that some people drive in town. This is a step in the right direction.”
Bylaw number 2023-30, being a by-law to authorize the corporation of the town of Gore Bay to reduce the speed limit in specific areas in the municipality, states, “Whereas section 128(2) of the Highway Traffic Act, R.S.O. 1990, chapter H.8, allows a council of a municipality to prescribe, by way of bylaw, a rate of speed different from the rate set out in subsection (1) that is not greater than 100 kilometres per hour for motor vehicles driven on a highway or portion of a highway under its jurisdiction.”
“And whereas the council of the Corporation of the Town of Gore Bay deems it necessary to reduce speed limits within town limits that are under our jurisdiction. Now, therefore the council of the corporation of the town of Gore Bay enacts as follows: that the speed limit for motor vehicles traveling on the highways be reduced to 40 kilometres per hour throughout the entire Town of Gore Bay unless otherwise posted and that signs be erected in a conspicuous place at each approach to this section of highway identifying the newly posted speed limit; Further that this by-law shall come into full force and take effect upon the installation of necessary signage.”
