SaskatoonThe majority of respondents in the City of Martenville’s public consultation on ATVs, dirt bikes and unlicensed vehicles oppose a complete ban on their use within city limits despite concerns raised earlier this summer. Council to discuss designated boundaries, updating bylawKevin Berger · LJI · Posted: Oct 25, 2025 7:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: 7 hours agoListen to this articleEstimated 6 minutesApproximately 81 per cent of the respondents in the City of Martensville’s public consultation on ATVs, dirt bikes and unlicensed vehicles oppose a complete ban on their use within city limits. (Gorlov-KV/Shutterstock)The majority of respondents in the City of Martenville’s public consultation on ATVs, dirt bikes and unlicensed vehicles oppose a complete ban on their use within city limits despite concerns raised earlier this summer. Approximately 81 per cent of the respondents opposed the ban, according to a city report presented last week. However, city says it recognizes issues around noise and public safety and will plan to discuss heightened enforcement, more education and designated areas for recreational users.”We kind of took everything we heard through summer and tried to reflect some of the views that we heard,” said economic development manager Dillon Shewchuk, who prepared the report alongside communications specialist Tyler Schroeder. The report, which summarized the results of the city’s consultation from July to September, was presented at a committee meeting on Oct. 14. The City of Martensville launched the public consultation earlier this summer in response to concerns raised by residents of the Aspen Parke Estates condominium on the northwest edge of Martensville’s Lake Vista neighbourhood.At a council meeting in October 2024, Doug Borse expressed frustration with underage drivers speeding and stunting on 10th Avenue N. “Sooner or later, someone’s going to get seriously injured or killed,” Borsa told council. A followup presentation was made during a committee of the whole meeting on June 10, where council was asked to implement a complete ban on ATVs and dirt bikes within city limits.Almost half of respondents are ridersThe City of Martensville’s public consultation took the form of an online survey and questionnaire, three-in person events, and consultations with North Ridge Developments and Martensville RCMP.Over 1,350 responses were received through the online survey alone, though the report also took into account responses received through other channels, so the numbers vary slightly depending on the question asked.As noted in the report, nearly half (43 per cent) of respondents said they currently ride ATVs, dirt bikes or other unlicensed vehicles. Another 14 per cent indicated they were considering becoming users. Of those respondents who indicated they rode ATVs or dirt bikes: 31 per cent said they rode every week.32 per cent said they rode a few times per year.36 per cent indicated they rode a few times each month.Notably, some respondents indicated that the ability to ride “close to home” was among the reasons they chose to live in Martensville.”A very large reason I moved to Martensville was the small town feel, such as kids/adults being allowed to drive their recreational toys from home out of town into riding areas,” one respondent said.”If this gets removed, myself along with many others I know will be considering leaving the community.”When asked where they ride, 344 respondents indicated the northeast quadrant of the city, while another 61 respondents indicated the southeast. Ridership was spotty in other areas.A total of 974 respondents said they had not experienced safety concerns related to ATVs, dirt bikes and unlicensed vehicles. However, 348 property-owners and 30 riders indicated they had experienced such issues. When asked to identify their top concerns, if any, with ATV, dirt bike and other unlicensed vehicle use, the most frequent answers were: Conflict with other road users (343).Safety risks to other residents (282).Noise (273).Damage to streets and land (160).Trespassing on private land (130) .Dust or debris (91).As part of the City of Martensville’s consultation on ATVs, quads and other unlicensed vehicles, survey respondents who use off-highway vehicles were asked where they typically ride within the city. This graphic, which was pulled from the report summarizing the results of that consultation, shows the northeast quadrant of the city is the most popular spot for ridership. (City of Martensville)Designated trailsNorth Ridge Developments, whose land is one of the most-frequented locations for off-road vehicles, indicated they recognized the recreational value of allowing ATVs to ride freely, but they were concerned about potential injuries to riders and the resulting liability. When asked about their awareness of bylaws and rules around off-highway vehicles, 63 per cent indicated they were aware of the rules, 26 per cent indicated they were “somewhat” aware and 11 per cent indicated no awareness.While the majority of respondents opposed a total ban: 473 respondents indicated they would like designated trails with clear boundaries.401 said they wanted more education initiatives on rules/regulations.304 said they wanted increased enforcement.296 favoured more signage for boundaries and designated riding areas.226 wanted to implement time-of-day restrictions.Meanwhile, Martensville fire Chief Dean Brooman said the RCMP would like to see more clarity in the city’s bylaw around off-highway vehicles travelling on “untravelled portions” of roads.Currently, ATVs and dirt bikes are prohibited from operating on roads as per the provincial All Terrain Vehicle Act, but they can travel on “untravelled portions” not typically used by regular vehicles, such as ditches.”Right now, that’s a little bit vague. Even some of the officers, when they go to enforce, they’re not quite clear of what that means. So that could be something we look at in the bylaw,” Brooman suggested.The report concluded by suggesting ATV, dirt bike and unlicensed vehicle use is deeply valued in Martensville.That said, “probably more has to be done around rules, broader education and just management around this issue,” said Shewchuk.City manager Tanya Garost indicated that at a minimum their bylaw is out of date and will need to be aligned with provincial legislation, so this topic will be discussed by council in the future.That said, with council not giving any indication they wanted an ATV ban, that won’t be an option brought forward in the future.The Local Journalism Initiative supports the creation of original civic journalism that is relevant to the diverse needs of underserved communities across Canada, broadening availability and consumption of local and regional news on matters of civic governance. Read more about The Local Journalism Initiative here. If you have any questions about the Local Journalism Initiative program, please contact lji@newsmediacanada.ca. ABOUT THE AUTHORKevin Berger is a Local Journalism Initiative reporter at the Clark’s Crossing Gazette in Saskatchewan.
Majority of residents oppose ATV ban in Martensville, Sask.: city report
