SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE -A growing storm of protest over proposed and seemingly draconian changes to park rules appears to have forced city council back to the drawing board.

Whitney, left, and Sasha Jason take a break from a game of catch at Somba K'e Park on Monday. Under a proposed new parks bylaw, throwing around softballs is OK but not golf or plastic balls. - Mike W. Bryant/NNSL photo

Council will meet Friday to take a another look at the parks bylaw which council passed on first and second reading at its regular council meeting on Sept. 14. Bylaws need three readings to pass.

The re-vamped Public Parks and Recreation Facilities bylaw contains provisions which would prohibit a number of activities in city-run parks and buildings, including propelling golf and plastic balls, and straying off park trails.

Penalties for breaching the rules include fines up to $2,000 for individuals and $10,000 for corporations.

City councillor Paul Falvo, one of two councillors who voted against it, said council was caught off guard by the updated bylaw after dealing with a flood of other agenda items, including a lengthy debate on Tin Can Hill.

"We've had some really long agendas lately - everything has been coming at us fast and furious," said Falvo, who missed the initial committee meeting where the bylaw was first discussed.

He said it wasn't until Coun. Lydia Bardak pointed out some of the more contentious items during the Sept. 14 council meeting that he joined her in opposing it.

Falvo said he doesn't believe the parks bylaw is an attempt by city administration to clamp down on the recreational activities of its citizens, but just a poorly-worded document that "comes across as a solution looking for a problem."

"I don't doubt for a minute that they are good intentions," said Falvo.

"I'm sure the intention wasn't for parks police breaking up games of catch."

The bylaw references approximately 60 prohibitions, some of which are already found in the current parks bylaw while others are new, including rules stating no person shall: "do anything which is likely to attract a crowd," "ride downhill on a toboggan, sleigh, carpet or other sliding device," "possess any firearm, bow, arrow or hunting knife," or "launch a boat, canoe, kayak, or similar craft from or within a public park except where specifically allowed by the (director of community services)."

Falvo said he expects the outcome of Friday's meeting will see the bylaw go down to defeat or undergo "serious amendments."

Falvo said he's received a "significant response" from the public since the bylaw vote came to light last week. He wasted no time incorporating the controversy into his campaign for re-election.

He has since printed campaign pins reading, "Guitars in parks!" and "Walk on the grass!"

As of Monday afternoon, 389 people had signed up to the Facebook group "Yellowknifers against park tyranny!" Sasha and Whitney Jason, administrators of the group, said the site had gone online just last Friday night.

Sasha, 26, said she isn't opposed to the idea of a parks bylaw but it needs to be reasonable.

"A lot of things are on there to make people safer," she said.

"Obviously, we don't want people roaming around the parks with hunting knives, but if that's the case we got a bigger problem."

Coun. Mark Heyck said one of the problems with the bylaw is that the prohibited and the approved activities are all at the discretion of the community services director.

"It leaves discretion to the director of community services as to where these things apply and how they apply, and I think that's something we need to clarify," said Heyck.