Hamilton issued 58 tickets to rule-breakers at parks and waterfalls last week

The City of Hamilton issued 58 park penalties last week as well as 29 other tickets for people not following COVID-19 rules.

As the nice weather rolls into Hamilton, Paul Johnson, director of Hamilton's emergency operations centre, said the majority of park tickets being issued aren't related to COVID-19, but to people not following rules that exist outside of the pandemic.

Mostly, he said, people continue to ignore the rules at waterfalls.

"Even when we are all able to declare this pandemic behind us, it will still be illegal to hike up Albion Falls and Chedoke Falls," Johnson said in a COVID-19 media briefing on Monday.

The city made the change in mid-April to allow its bylaw officers to issue tickets on conservation grounds. It was an attempt to help out conservation staff, who said the areas were swamped with people.

The power extends not just to the waterfalls, but to all of the Hamilton Conservation Authority areas.

Johnson said the city recently doled out tickets to two other people who were caught golfing at the Chedoke course, and one for consuming alcohol in a park.

There were also 14 tickets issued at city hall over the weekend for demonstrations, including a Hugs Over Masks event and a protest condemningviolence against Palestinians.

Johnson said police are looking at the pro-Palestine protest to see if more charges will be laid.

"While we recognize that global events continue to happen and local events to happen and people want to have their voice heard...the rules are the rules," he said. "Right now, there is to be no gathering for any purpose indoors or outdoors and we will enforce regardless of the purpose for that."

Bylaw officers issued five other tickets at residential parties, plus others for face coverings and physical distancing.

He also noted that while recreational boating is not allowed under the provincial regulations right now, the sunny weather is drawing people out, including those who are showing "disrespectful behaviour."

"The bottom line is this is not allowed under the stay-at-home order and under the orders that the province has put in place," he said.

People are allowed to put their boats into the water and get them into the dock.