Revised bylaw requires four-sided fences for new pools

New backyard swimming pools in Hamilton will soon have to have a fence within a fence to help prevent children from drowning.

The move to have pools fenced on all four sides was the most contentious change to the city’s existing regulations for private pools presented during Tuesday’s planning meeting. But that is the most dangerous setting for children under the age of 10, city staff told councillors.

Tragedies can come quickly and silently, not like in the movies when children flail and scream in the water, Jorge M. Caetano said.

“They will drown in as little as 10 seconds,” he said.

The revised rules are meant to dovetail with a 2011 Ontario chief coroner’s report that made a series of recommendations to improve water safety.

The updated bylaw, which will take effect in January, applies to water structures that are at least half a metre (two feet) deep.

It calls for a four-sided, 1.5-metre tall fence with a self-closing and self-latching gate. The fence can’t obstruct views.

There are some exceptions to the fence rule, such as water structures used for irrigation on farms.

Residents with pools that conform to the existing rules won’t be asked to retrofit their set-ups. The current bylaw calls for a three-sid- ed fence.

A majority of councillors agreed that if the change “saves just one life,” then it is worth it.

However, Coun. Donna Skelly argued the four-sided-fence rule was “heavy-handed” and evocative of a “nanny state.”

Skelly emphasized that child safety is a deep concern, but maintained adult supervision ought to be the ultimate safeguard. “You can’t make life completely safe for every child.”

Coun. Robert Pasuta suggested four-sided fences could create a “false sense of security,” leading to lax adult supervision.

Caetano acknowledged that responsible parenting and education were important pieces in pool safety.

Coun. Maria Pearson argued a four-sided fence isn’t a “hardship” for homeowners, especially since existing fences don’t have to be retrofitted.

Hunting ban rumours quelled

Hunting is not being outlawed in Hamilton.

That’s what city officials want enthusiasts to know after rumours of a ban started circulating this week.

Pasuta said he’s been blindsided by complaints.

“It has taken a path of its own and it is just nasty out there.”

The city is reviewing its dis- charge firearms bylaw and where its restrictions should apply.

That doesn’t mean prohibiting hunting in Hamilton full stop, bylaw director Marty Hazell said.

“We’re just looking at adjusting the boundaries in terms of new development.”

Smaller rural communities in Hamilton have urbanized over the years, said James Buffett, supervisor of municipal law enforcement.

That includes places like Binbrook, Copetown, Jerseyville and Lynden, he noted.

Hazell said he’ll update councillors on public consultations in May.