A local bylaw official wants the community to know he’s not responsible for issuing tickets to COVID rule breakers.
Jack Bremner is a councillor for the R.M. of Dauphin and is also a bylaw control officer, and says the calls he’s been getting reporting health order violations should be directed to the appropriate channels, and not him.
“There’s a rumour going around that I’m the COVID police.”
Bremner says that although he is a bylaw control officer — who deals with things like messy yards, dogs running loose, building on land without a permit — he is not responsible for giving out COVID tickets.
“It’s all over town,” he said, adding “I’ve had three phone calls from people wanting me to go out and write a ticket.”
He says the first call he received was from a councillor in another municipality wanting Bremner to write a ticket to someone breaking the rules. He later received a call from a blocked number asking him to deal with someone having a party in the community.
Bremner tells CKDM he also got a third phone call to see if he would issue a ticket to someone else reportedly breaking the rules.
Although the province has enabled municipal bylaw enforcement to issue COVID-related public health orders, both the R.M. of Dauphin and City of Dauphin have elected not to have bylaw enforcement issue tickets.
“I don’t know who started the rumour. Maybe it’s because the bylaw officer in Winnipeg, Brandon and Portage are writing tickets, but not here. I know the guys here that are [writing tickets] and they’re civil servants that were told this is going to be their job.”
Current code red restrictions in Manitoba limit social contacts to people in the same household, and limit all gathering sizes to a maximum of 5. Non-essential businesses and churches must close under the current public health orders, and masks have to be worn in indoor public places.
“I’m really [ticked] off at people who break the rules, because they’re putting us all in danger.”
Bremner suggests people report COVID rule-breakers in the community to the appropriate channels.
Reporting Health Order Violations
Manitobans can report compliance and enforcement issues by visiting the online reporting tool, or by calling 204-945-3744 or 1-866-626-4862 (toll-free) and pressing option three on the call menu.
Since enforcement efforts began in April, a total of 1,962 warnings and 672 tickets have been issued, resulting in more than $984,000 in fines to Manitoba businesses and individuals.
Fines for not wearing a mask in indoor public places are $298, while fines for individuals violating public health orders have been set at $1,296, and $5,000 for tickets issued to corporations.
