Bylaw Enforcement

Columbia Shuswap Regional District bylaws are in place to increase the safety and enjoyment for everyone in the community.

Making a Complaint

If you have a complaint that requires bylaw enforcement, please fill out the online Bylaw Enforcement Complaint form. 

For general information, please call 1-888-248-2773 or 250-832-8194 or contact us by email. 

To dispute a ticket, please complete this form.

Enforcement Process

Where bylaw-related concerns or problems arise, the CSRD encourages residents, where appropriate, to discuss and attempt to resolve the issues amicably. If resolution is not possible, then a complaint should be brought forward in writing to the Bylaw Enforcement Officer.

The Bylaw Enforcement Officer will investigate the complaint and determine whether it is actually a contravention of the applicable bylaw. Assuming there is a contravention, the Bylaw Enforcement Officer will bring the complaint to the attention of the property owner in writing, giving the owner a reasonable time to resolve the issue. 

In the majority of cases, the Bylaw Enforcement Officer is able to bring about a resolution. However, there are circumstances when a resolution can only be obtained through legal process. The enforcement of local government bylaws through the legal process can be very time-consuming and costly, so every effort is made to resolve the issues directly with the offending party.

Effective 2023, the CSRD had adopted a new Bylaw Dispute Adjudication system. This allows the Columbia Shuswap Regional District to manage bylaw disputes locally rather than through the Provincial Court system. Bylaw Offence Notices can be disputed out of court with an adjudicator appointed by the Provincial Attorney General’s Office.

See the Bylaw Adjudication page for details on the process.

Please note: Not all bylaws are in effect throughout all areas of the Regional District, and some apply only in specified areas.  Please refer to each Regulatory Bylaw in the table below for more information. 

Enforcement Policy

It is the CSRD's policy that complaints be received in writing, either by letter, email, or online complaint form and that the investigation be limited to the specific issue of concern expressed in the complaint. The name and phone number of the complainant must be provided. Please refer to Bylaw Enforcement Policy A-69 (PDF) for further information.

Required Information

The written complaint must include:

• the civic or legal address of the offending property, 
• the nature of the complaint
• the duration of the alleged contravention
• your name, mailing address, email and telephone number for contact purposes.

Freedom of Information & Protection of Privacy Act

Your identity will not be revealed as it is protected under the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act. However, should the matter proceed to court and, if required by direction of law, the CSRD may be required to disclose the information provided.

Noise Complaints

The CSRD has adopted Noise Bylaw Number 5754 to provide the RCMP with an additional enforcement tool to address noise-related concerns. The enforcement of Bylaw Number 5754 is at the sole discretion of the RCMP. They are the agency authorized in MTI Bylaw Number 5776 to issue a municipal ticket for noise-related offences. CSRD staff will not be enforcing this bylaw. Upon receipt of a noise complaint, CSRD staff will explain the purpose and content of Bylaw Number 5754 to residents and direct them to their local RCMP detachment for follow-up.

Unsightly Premises Complaints

Currently, the Regional District does not have any bylaws addressing unsightly premises, therefore, complaints concerning these matters cannot be addressed by the Regional District.

Ticket Information Utilization Bylaw Number 5776 Applies to Various CSRD Bylaws