Snowmobiles on Iqaluit streets
Dawn Ostrem
Northern News Services
Iqaluit (Jan 08/01) - Two snowmobile crashes right before Christmas have heightened talk about stronger regulations on how they're used within town boundaries.
On Dec. 23, two people were injured when the snowmobiles they were driving were hit by cars.
Police said alcohol may have contributed to a crash that happened shortly before midnight. Charges are pending against the driver.
The driver of that snowmobile was medevaced to a southern hospital with serious but non life-threatening injuries.
The other incident happened earlier in the day in the same high-traffic area near NorthMart. That driver was taken to Baffin Regional Hospital and later released.
"What we should be deciding is if they are vehicles and should they even be on the road," said Iqaluit RCMP Sgt. Mike O'Malley. "That's the way I see it."
The RCMP and the Town's bylaw department are now discussing stronger regulation.
"The community has grown considerably in the last five years," O'Malley said. "Now we are seeing that there may be more potential problems."
Banning the machines completely from the streets of Iqaluit is not the answer according to many residents who use snowmobiles. They are a common method of transportation.
"I do see people do stupid things on (snowmobiles) around town but that is not to say people don't do stupid things on vehicles, too," said dentist Dr. Charles Pastori who often uses his snow machine to get around town.
"They are not any more dangerous than cars," he said.
Iqaluit municipal bylaw officers are stepping up enforcement current regulations.
"We are implementing more snowmobile patrols to make sure people have proper registration permits and are insured," said chief bylaw officer Terry Augustus.
Currently anyone can operate a snowmobile on the street, but must abide by the same traffic laws as cars and trucks. A person as young as 14 can legally drive a snowmobile within town limits.
"Eventually we are going to have to look at updating the bylaw regarding helmets within Iqaluit limits," Augustus said.
There is no territorial legislation that sets out operation rules outside hamlet or town limits.
