Resident’s Guide to the City of Côte Saint-Luc Bylaws

The purpose of the Resident’s Guide to the City of Côte Saint-Luc Bylaws is to provide a summary or extracts of common bylaws. Bylaws are codes and regulations adopted by and governing matters within the purview of municipalities, such as parking, noise, zoning, and construction.

Please note that this Resident’s Guide is provided for information purposes only and does not constitute an interpretation of city bylaws. Only the actual text of the bylaw is authoritative and these bylaws are available at the City Hall Archives (5801 Cavendish Blvd.). 

Parking

Parking rules are set by Côte Saint-Luc bylaws and the Quebec Highway Safety Code. To avoid a fine, please read parking signs carefully before parking your vehicle. Here are some examples where you cannot park a vehicle:

• On any street overnight between 3am and 6am
• Where signs prohibit you from parking at all times
• Where temporary signs prohibit you to do so for operations such as street cleaning or snow removal
• In an emergency lane
• In a handicap zone when unauthorized to do so

You cannot park a trailer, truck anywhere in Côte Saint-Luc except for loading or unloading purposes. In addition to the Côte Saint-Luc bylaws, the Quebec Highway Safety Code states you may not:

• Park on your driveway while leaving a portion of your vehicle encroaching on city property such as the sidewalk
• Block access to a public or private driveway
• Leave you vehicle unattended with its doors unlocked
• Park less than five meters from a fire hydrant
• Park more than 30 cm (about one foot) from the curb of a sidewalk
• Leave a child under age seven unattended in a vehicle

  

Bicycle and skating helmets

When riding a bicycle, or skating using in-line skates or roller blades, on any street, sidewalk, lane or any public place in Côte Saint-Luc, people of all ages must wear an approved helmet.

Items on the street or sidewalk

You cannot place objects on the street or on the public sidewalk without the permission of Côte Saint-Luc. This includes objects such as basketball nets and hockey nets.

Use of barbecues in Côte Saint-Luc

In order to protect the safety of residents, the City of Côte Saint-Luc has placed limits on the use of open-flame barbecues, such as propane barbecues, charcoal barbecues, etc.

The following will help you determine if you can use an open-flame barbecue at your residence.

1. Apartment and condominium rules
Before even reviewing the city rules about the use of open-flame barbecues, you should first learn if your condominium association or landlord allows the use of barbecues on balconies or ground floor area. If it is prohibited by the association or owner, then you cannot use an open-flame barbecue, irrespective of the by-laws of Côte Saint-Luc.

2. Type of balcony
Assuming that there are no prohibitions by your condominium association or apartment building owner, then you should familiarize yourself with Côte Saint-Luc by-laws. By-law 852 amending By-law 626 concerning fire prevention states that the use of a portable open-flame device, such as a barbecue apparatus—which includes a hibachi-type table-top grill fired by charcoal—must be used on a balcony that has a support, floor, wall or any part thereof that is fully fireproof. In general, this means that the balcony must be made of concrete as opposed to wood. However, the only way to determine whether your balcony is fully fireproof is to ask the Montreal fire department to inspect it. You can contact the fire department at 514-280-0868.

3. Distance between gas cylinder and building opening
Assuming that the fire department says that your balcony is fully fireproof, you must also have a balcony large enough to satisfy the rules governing the storage of gas cylinders, such as propane tanks.
 
The distance between the building opening and the cylinder containing gas is governed by the Canadian Standards Association (CSA), which enacted the Natural Gas and Propane Installation Code and the Propane Storage and Handling Code. These distances, which are incorporated by reference in Côte Saint-Luc By-law 2279, vary and are based upon various factors. These distances only apply to barbecues fuelled by gas.

For example, the Propane Storage and Handling Code states: a cylinder shall be installed outside a building, with the discharge from the cylinder relief valve not less than:

a)    3 feet (1 metre) on a horizontal plane from any building opening when the opening is below the level of the relief valve discharge;
b)    10 feet (3 metres) on a horizontal plane from the air intake of any appliance or air-moving equipment; and
c)    10 feet (3 metre) on a horizontal plane from any source of ignition.

Note: Although these codes regulate gas barbecues and not barbecues fueled by charcoal, Montreal fire inspector Jean-François Duclos recommends that residents read carefully and rigorously apply the recommended distances listed in their charcoal barbecue user manual.

4. Smoke
Assuming that your building allows barbecues, that you have a fully fireproof balcony, and one that is large enough to permit the distances required between the gas cylinder and the building opening, then you can to use your open-flame barbecue—assuming you are not causing a nuisance to your neighbour.

By-law 107 concerning nuisance (i.e., smoke) applies to all barbecues. Just like loud music, smoke from a barbecue could be a nuisance to your neighbours.
 
TABLE:

Here is a table of Côte Saint-Luc’s relevant by-laws concerning barbecues explaining which type of barbecues apply:


   

* The determination of a “fully fireproof” balcony is made by the fire department.

Private swimming pools

The building inspector (or representative) must have free access to inspect the maintenance and operation of a swimming pool at all times.

Operation
Swimming pools must have a rope of an easily visible color to separate the deep end from the shallow end.

Fence

Swimming pools must be surrounded by a fence, or other solid structure, not less than six feet high and the elements of the fence must not be separated by a space wider than four inches. The door to the fenced off area around a swimming pool must have a self-closing and self-locking device that is capable of keeping the door securely closed. This locking device should be located out of the reach of children.

Semi-private and public swimming pools

The Quebec Public Buildings Safety Act requires public swimming pools and semi-private ones—such as the ones in multi-family dwellings—to be equipped with the following:

• An electrically insulated or non-conducting reaching pole at least 3.6 meters (about 12 feet) long
• Two safety buoys that can be either a ring type or a torpedo type
• A spine board designed for a person who has suffered spinal injury
• A first aid kit
• A blanket

In addition, semi-private and public swimming pools must have the following:

• Safety rules posted in English and French
• A rope of an easily visible color to separate the deep end from the shallow end
• A portable oxygen tank with a pocket mask within accessibility of the pool area, which must be verified to be in good working order by a qualified technician at periodic intervals
• A phone within the swimming pool area for use only to call for help in case of emergencies, and instructions on how to call for help
• A breakable glass container (with an attachable device to break open the glass) containing a key to an interior door giving access to the pool area

Dogs

License

All dog owners must ensure that their dog has an annual license, payable on the first day of May each year. The annual license fee for each dog that is neutered or spayed is $15. The annual license fee for each dog that is not neutered or spayed is $30.

Vaccination
The owner of a dog has to show proof that the dog was vaccinated against rabies before the owner can be issued an annual dog license.

Public places
All dogs must be kept on a leash throughout the year when in a public place. Dogs are generally not allowed in public parks and playgrounds. The custodian of a dog must clean up every public or private ground soiled by feces of a dog. Dogs are not allowed on private grounds expect with the consent of the owner.

Garbage collection

Pickup times
Garbage collection hours are between 8am and 9pm on collection days. You cannot place garbage receptacles or plastic bags outside any building more than three (3) hours before the scheduled collection hour of 8am.

Placement of garbage bins and bags
You must place garbage outside the front of the premises as close to the front sidewalk as possible but not on the sidewalk or street.

You must place garbage in a metal or plastic receptacle, tightly covered, having a maximum capacity of 125 liters (4.4 cubic feet) and a maximum weight of 45 kilograms (100 pounds) when filled. You may not fill each garbage container more than 76.2 millimeters (3 inches) from its top rim.

Plastic garbage bags may be used for placing garbage outside instead of in a receptacle providing each bag is closed firmly.

Amount and types of garbage
You may not put more than a total of six (6) receptacles or plastic bags outside a building for collection. Waste paper must be tied firmly into bundles or rolls and left close to the garbage receptacles. Branches must be tied into bundles not exceeding one third (1/3) of a cubic yard.

You must remove the cover or door from any box, refrigerator, trunk, or container before leaving it for garbage collection.

Construction Hours

You may not carry out any works in connection with the construction, re-construction, alteration or repairing of any building or structure, at any place in the city, between 9pm and 9am on Saturdays, Sundays and statutory holidays, or between 9pm and 7am on all other days, unless you have permission from the city granted under special circumstances.

Permits

• You must obtain a permit for the following (non-exhaustive) list of items:
• Fences
• Swimming pools
• Construction of a new balcony
• Construction/re-doing of a driveway
• Renovations/general modifications
• New windows
• New façade
• Roof

The application for these permits should be submitted approximately one week before the work is to start. Once the work is started, it must be completed within three months—however, if it is not completed within three months, you can apply for a new permit. If are unsure whether you need a permit call City Hall (5801 Cavendish Blvd.) at 514-485-6800.

Parks

You are not allowed to be in a city park past 11pm where signs prohibit you to you from being there.

Noise

You cannot make loud noises such as excessively honking your horn, blaring loud music or using any other sound reproduction device to do so.

Handouts

You cannot distribute circulars, advertisements, leaflets or other printed matters on the sidewalks, streets, and in private homes, between 9pm and 7am.

Home distribution of flyers

You cannot deposit circulars, advertisements, leaflets or other printed matters on the sidewalks, streets, lanes, or elsewhere than in a mail box of a private home or of a multiple dwellings building.

Messy property

The owner of land, whether built or not, may not allow branches, bushes and long weeds to grow thereon, or to leave scrap iron, rubbish, refuse, paper or empty bottles or materials or any objects that might be a hazard to health and safety.

Dangerous items

You cannot tolerate on your land, shallow areas gathering stagnant water, open ditches, large boulders, mounds of earth or any conditions that may cause directly or indirectly bodily harm to any person or persons.

Raising animals

You cannot keep live farm animals or fowl on your land.

Feeding animals

You cannot feed pigeons, squirrels and other wild animals or poultry.

Street vendors

All street vendors require a license from the municipality prior to carrying out their tasks.

Smoking

The Quebec Tobacco Act prohibits you from smoking within a nine-meter (about 30 feet) radius of a premises used for community or recreational activities.