Tree Bylaws
A Necessity

Bylaws are necessary

Hundreds of things and practices on private property are prohibited by urban bylaws.  Residents often complain about their city/municipal bylaws, failing to recognize the benefits of bylaws. Below, in bold type, are common urban bylaws in Canada. Each item is followed (in parenthesis) with typical practices in east European villages. My wife’s family have lived for over 100 years in a village in south Slovakia. This village has, like most villages, a mayor and council members, but relatively few bylaws. I have witnessed or heard all of the items described below during my frequent vacations there.  The contrast is not only substantial, but often humorous. 

• Illegal to dump waste or hazardous materials  (In eastern European villages, rear yards often become household dump sites.  If it doesn’t fit into the trash can, the sofa or old dresser is often dumped on the property. And when a homeowner’s dog or cat dies, it is routinely buried  in the rear yard. When changing car engine oil,  the old oil is often poured out onto the property.) 
• Noise disturbances, especially during night  (Many village residents have chickens and roosters. A cacophony of roosters crowing at 4 or 5 am is not uncommon.)
• Unauthorized commercial activities  (Five blocks from my father-in-law’s house, a neighbor decided to raise pigs in his rear yard. Anywhere within a one block radius of his rear yard pig sty has an unbearable stench.)
• Violations related to animals or pets.  (Dogs are rarely kept indoors; their culture sees dogs in a functional capacity: stay outside all day and night and protect the property. Virtually all dogs have not been neutered or spayed, and therefore many are chained all day to prevent them from escaping and breeding. And these outdoor dogs routinely bark during all hours of the night.)
• Failure to maintain properties to a certain standard, e.g., overgrown grass, dilapidated building.  (Dilapidated buildings is the norm in villages.  Safety for children playing in abandoned buildings is an obvious concern. Most homes have water wells, and unprotected, abandoned wells are a significant danger.)
• Building fires or burning materials on private property.  (And when it comes time to get rid of old auto tires, residents simply burn them in their backyards, alongside any other household items. Opening your window in the mornig to the smell of burning tries is less than pleasant.)

Some bylaws are illogical, often humorous.

• Illegal to feed raccoons on your property (Vancouver)
• Illegal to have pet rats (Alberta)
• You cannot have more than 4 rodents in your home (Port Coquitlam)
• It’s illegal to have a loud parrot (Oak Bay)
• You cannot paint a wooden ladder (Alberta)
• Illegal to have more than two garage sales each year (Toronto)
• Illegal to build a snowman over 30 inches tall (Souris, PEI)
• Illegal to let your grass grow higher than 8 inches (London, Ont)
• Illegal to have goats, chickens, or ducks (many cities)

Most bylaws improve the quality of life.  

The compare/contrast of bylaws above does illustrate how urban cities and towns need bylaws.  The illogical bylaws described above support the argument that bylaws must regularly be reviewed and revised as needed.