Halifax council passes bylaw for rules surrounding roadside memorials

Halifax regional council approved a new bylaw on Tuesday for roadside memorials, which includes regulations on their size and location.

The move to come up with new rules came after a roadside memorial was taken down in August 2018 in Wellington because of complaints from the community.

Councillors were divided over how long a roadside memorial should be allowed to stay. Several argued that as long as the memorial was in good condition, it should remain indefinitely.

"This is a tough one," said Coun. Becky Kent. "I've received a number of phone calls and emails with concerns about timelines."

But other councillors pointed out that if memorials are permanent, then city staff would have to assess their condition.

"I know this is an emotional subject, but I don't think our right of ways is the place to have permanent memorials," said Coun. Patty Cuttell.

She pointed out there are other ways to memorialize a person, such as planting a tree and paying for a park bench.

A two-year time limit was approved in a 9-8 vote.

The new bylaw also has a separate section dealing with "ghost bikes" set up after a cyclist is killed. The one-metre height limit means the so-called ghost bike is below the typical sightline for drivers.

The new rules only apply to municipal roads.

"Even inside the core area [of HRM], if it's a provincial highway, this bylaw would not supersede any rules, or lack of rules that the province has in place," said Chris Davis, a right of ways supervisor for the city.