Bylaw Notices may be disputed by telephone, in writing or by submitting a dispute form in person. Please check the back of your Bylaw Notice for instructions on how to initiate your dispute.
If you received a Municipal Ticket Information, the dispute process is through the Provincial Court system. The back of your ticket will also outline this process.
The District will typically issue Bylaw Notices for fines up to a maximum of $500. Bylaw Notices can be disputed without going to Provincial Court. If you wish to dispute a Bylaw Notice, you will be assigned a Bylaw Adjudicator who will hear your dispute and make an unbiased decision.
If you receive and wish to dispute a traditional ticket (issued as a Municipal Ticket Information or MTI, up to a maximum fine $1000), you will be required to dispute it through Provincial Court.
A $25 fee will be added to the penalty if an adjudicator finds the contravention did occur, and the dispute is unsuccessful.
The time frame for a dispute to be processed, once screened by the District’s Screening Officer, is approximately one to three months. This time frame is dependent on the North Shore Bylaw Dispute Adjudication Registry Schedule, of which we’re part of.
Yes, there is a 10% early discount. Information on the early discount schedule is outlined on the back of the Bylaw Notice.
Discounted rates only apply if you have paid within 14 days of issuance of the ticket. If you dispute the ticket and you are unsuccessful in your dispute, the full set fine is to be paid.
The District’s Screening Officer reviews each disputed ticket to ensure that the information is correct, and initiates the adjudication process. The Screening Officer also has the authority to cancel a ticket or enter into a compliance agreement. An independent adjudicator is a professional person who can make an unbiased decision in the event of a dispute. The adjudicator is the authority that makes the final determination.
The appointment, training and management of the adjudicator roster occurs at arms-length from the local government. Adjudicators are appointed by the Deputy Attorney General following a transparent procurement process.
No, it is not necessary to appear before the Adjudicator in person, unless it is preferred. Disputes are regularly adjudicated over the phone or in writing (e-mail).
While the vast majority of Squamish citizens comply voluntarily with the District’s regulatory bylaws, compliance or enforcement based on education and warnings alone is not appropriate in all circumstances. The District has adopted a new Bylaw Enforcement Complaint Policy that provides clarity on how bylaw enforcement is applied, and how complaints are responded to.
Fines can be paid:
The District will also seek collection of outstanding fines, which may result in collections proceedings being applied.
Bylaw notices can be issued by:
The differences between a Bylaw Notice and a Municipal Ticket Information (MTIs) include:
The District will take necessary steps to collect on outstanding fines, which could result in collections proceedings.
A fine is a legal penalty that can be disputed. All District of Squamish fines are legal and considered a penalty.
A fee is a non-negotiable administrative amount, generally as payment for a service that cannot be disputed (i.e. Dog Licence Fee, Business Licence Fee).
Benefits of an adjudication are many, and include:
Bylaw Enforcement Officers can be contacted by telephone at 604.815.5067. If you reach voicemail, please leave a detailed message as the officers may be out on patrol. An officer will respond within 72 hours to general nuisance complaints, although we aim to respond sooner. Health, safety and environmental impact complaints will be prioritized.
You must identify yourself when making a complaint as the District will not accept anonymous ones. The identity of any complainant is confidential unless the complainant has agreed to be identified or unless an order has been made by the Provincial Freedom of Information Commissioner. In almost all cases, the Privacy Commissioner has sided with municipal policy and not allowed the release of complainant information. It is your choice, but if you choose to remain anonymous, we will not act on the information unless we believed the public would be at risk if we didn’t respond.
The complaint is reviewed to determine if it is valid and related to District Bylaws. If it is, a file is created and assigned to a Bylaw Enforcement Officer. In some cases, the complaint is valid, but it relates to a law that is administered by another government agency. In that case, you will be provided with contact information for the other agency.
Depending on the specific circumstances, the Bylaw Enforcement Officer will aim to negotiate a reasonable compliance plan and time frame to achieve voluntary compliance. The compliance plan may accommodate unusual circumstances (such as seasonal or financial constraints, or personal situation) which means a property owner may be given extra time to comply. However, compliance or enforcement based on education and warnings is not appropriate in all circumstances. More direct enforcement approaches to achieve compliance, including immediate ticketing, may occur. View the District's Bylaw Enforcement Complaints Policy for further details.
Yes. Bylaw Enforcement Officers inspect to confirm that voluntary compliance has taken place before closing a file. However, in some instances, a property owner will violate the bylaw again at a later date and a new complaint may be necessary to reopen the file.
If it becomes obvious that voluntary compliance is not occurring, the Bylaw Enforcement Officer may either issue tickets or recommend that the District approve legal action to acquire a court order to gain compliance. If the violation is serious or ongoing, the District may take immediate legal action.
Not necessarily. If the violation is serious or ongoing, the District may take immediate legal action.
No. The Bylaw Enforcement Complaint Policy outlines three categories of enforcement responses, and the priorities and enforcement actions that accompany each. The three categories, in order of priority level are: 1) Health and safety (including environment); 2) Significant negative impact to adjacent properties, and 3) General nuisance.
Bylaw Enforcement Officers work in the community both in response to complaints, and proactively on a variety of bylaw compliance issues such as enforcing safe routes to school, parking infractions, and snow clearing.
Members of District of Squamish Council will refer you to the Bylaw Enforcement team if you wish to make a formal complaint. Please contact the Bylaw Office directly to outline your concerns.
No. If this was a legal requirement, it would require on-going patrols and considerably more resources at taxpayers’ expense. Council adopts an annual budget for bylaw enforcement that it considers adequate for the job, yet affordable for taxpayers. Bylaw enforcement activities take place within the limits of the District’s annual budget.
Bylaw enforcement is primarily complaint driven, but our officers proactively patrol the community to detect violations as well. Policies developed by Council give the bylaw enforcement team additional direction about bylaw enforcement priorities to ensure that the needs of the community are being met.
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Squamish Search and Rescue (SSAR), in partnership with the District of Squamish, is excited to announce the development of a…
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Environment Canada issues Rainfall Warning for Howe Sound
Issued at 2025-03-22 23:36 UTC by Environment Canada:
Rainfall warning issued for: Howe Sound, B. C.
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