Current Issues

Winter - Snow Events and Parking

The health and safety of our community is of utmost importance. Declaring “Keep it Clear” in effect during snow events is a proactive measure taken by the Town for community safety. The Town relies on community cooperation during these events to maintain safe road conditions.

Additionally, the Town of Lincoln may declare a Significant Winter Event when they anticipate that their winter response may take longer than normal and they may be unable to meet the Provincial Minimum Maintenance Standards due to weather conditions. The municipality has the discretion to declare a Significant Winter Event based on forecasted weather and local observations, including temperature, wind and road conditions.

Notification of Keep it Clear and Significant Winter Events will be posted to the Town of Lincoln website www.lincoln.ca, local news and weather outlets and Town social media posts- residents can follow the Town of Lincoln on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

Parking During Declared Snow Events

It is now a provision within the Parking By-law that all vehicles must be removed from municipal streets during a declared snow event (Keep it Clear or Significant Winter Event) or sudden snow fall in excess of 5 cm. This is to ensure the safe, thorough and timely response by roads staff to effectively clear the streets and sidewalks. During the declared snow event vehicles will be prohibited from parking on municipal streets for up to 72 hours.

Enforcement

This snow clearing parking provision will be enforced by Municipal Law Enforcement officers who will patrol municipal streets and respond to directed concerns identified by Public Works staff and members of the community.

Enforcement, by way of issued Parking Offence Notice, will be followed-up by re-attendance to ensure compliance. Any vehicle found still in breach of the snow clearing parking provision may be subject to a second Parking Offence Notice, as well as towing of the offending vehicle, with all associated costs at the owner’s expense. The towing would allow the roads staff to complete the road clearing operations.

Learn more about Snow & Ice Removal in Lincoln on our website. 

Public Nuisance By-law 

The revised Public Nuisance By-law was approved by Town of Lincoln Council on April 19, 2021.  

The revisions provide the application of the by-law regulations to a wide range of situations, while maintaining the integrity of the by-law. The revisions include changes to the sections related to Lighting and Odour: 

  • Sections 5-15 | Lighting: The general purpose of this section of this By-law is to prohibit and regulate Light Trespass Nuisances from one property to another. 
  • Sections 16-18 | Obnoxious Odours: The general purpose of this Obnoxious Odour Nuisance section of this By-law is to prohibit the emitting of obnoxious odours from one property to another, to reduce unwanted obnoxious odour and spill, and to prohibit and regulate odour nuisances. 

View the Public Nuisance By-law

Farm Practices 

  • Under the Farming and Food Production Protection Act (FFPPA), farmers are protected from nuisance complaints made by neighbours, provided they are following normal farm practices. 
  • No municipal by-law applies to restrict a normal farm practice carried on as part of an agricultural operation. 
  • The Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs has established processes to deal with complaints and determine what are and what are not “normal farm practices.” 
  • To learn more, visit the Normal Farm Practices Protection Board website

Legal Marijuana Growing Operations 

Jurisdiction

  • Licensing and compliance to regulations of these facilities is multi-jurisdictional to include Health Canada and the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs (OMAFRA) - Environmental Management Branch. Complaints about odour or general inquiries about these operations should be directed to OMAFRA’s Agricultural Information Contact Centre,  by email or call 1-877-424-1300. 
  • These facilities operate under different legislation than the legalization of marijuana for recreational use. It is the Access to Cannabis for Medical Purposes Regulations 
  • The Town’s current jurisdiction is property standards infractions, as per the municipal By-law.

Licensing

  • According to Health Canada, licenses are only issued once it has been determined that all information submitted demonstrates compliance with the Access to Cannabis for Medical Purposes Regulations (ACMPR) and the facility has been built. Each application undergoes a detailed assessment and review, including in-depth security checks undertaken by the RCMP. 
  • The authorized licensed producers are listed on Health Canada’s website 
  • Health Canada conducts compliance and monitoring activities of regulated parties to ensure compliance with the various regulations to the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act (CDSA). These activities include education, complaint investigations and inspecting licensed sites, or sites applying to be licensed to conduct regulated activities. 
  • Information about a producer’s requirements can be found on the Health Canada website. 

Complaints

  • Odour complaints should be directed to Health Canada's Cannabis Reporting Form
    • Information including the time, date, location, description of odour, and wind direction are helpful in supporting Health Canada with any follow-up that is conducted as a result. 
  • General inquiries about licensing should be sent via email.
  • Public safety or illegal behaviour should be directed to Niagara Regional Police Services (NRPS).
  • Property standards should be directed to the Town's Municipal Law Enforcement

Cannabis Legalization

Legalization on Oct. 17, 2018, includes