New Brunswick·NewComplaints about the use of ATVs and other off-road-vehicle within Saint John have been rising, city police say. Public safety at risk when ATVs are driven through park, residents sayCBC News · Posted: Nov 17, 2025 5:00 AM EST | Last Updated: 31 minutes agoListen to this articleEstimated 5 minutesThe audio version of this article is generated by text-to-speech, a technology based on artificial intelligence.East Saint John resident Glen Creamer says the use of ATVs and dirt bikes in a local park has disturbed the peace so much that he stays away. (Graham Thompson/CBC)East Saint John residents have grown frustrated with ATV and dirt-bike riders who use a local park as a throughway, causing a nuisance and threatening the peace and safety of others.Glen Creamer, who lives in Champlain Heights past the McAllister Place mall, says all-terrain and other off-road vehicles have become an issue in nearby Little River Reservoir Park, known by its the community as “the rez.”“It certainly has taken the bloom off the rose to see [the park] being used in that way by off-road vehicles running through here,” said Creamer, who was once president of an association that aided the development of the park.“I want to feel relaxed when I come up for a walk in the park. I don’t want to have to deal with that. So I don’t use the park.” Off-road vehicles are driven through east Saint John’s Little River Reservoir Park, leading residents to call for greater enforcement of the law. (Graham Thompson/CBC)Creamer said the area was once a trail used by ATV riders, but it was turned into a public park in 2004 and now has walking trails and a playground.Nuisance and safety concerns led the community to hold a townhall meeting, which included police and about 40 residents, in September.Creamer has also written to the city asking for clarification of policy and requesting greater enforcement.WATCH | Police say complaints about off-road vehicles have grown since 2020:Saint Johners want to see more enforcement of off-road vehicle regulationsEast Saint John residents are pushing for stricter enforcement to stop off-road vehicles, such as ATVs and dirt bikes, from cutting through a local park, creating noise and safety risks. He said he understands that enforcement officers have other pressing issues to deal with as well. But the off-road-vehicle problem has become a frequent weekday and weekend occurrence — often involving younger people, sometimes in groups — that affects residents, including families with children, and their enjoyment of the park.A growing problem for growing sportIn New Brunswick, off-road vehicles can operate on approved trails or on their owners’ property. An operator or owner can be charged if a vehicle is used in a way that can cause harm, excessive noise, or property damage.City police said in a statement to CBC News that they have seen an increase in complaints about ATV use in the city since 2020.Staff Sgt. Shawna Fowler said the force received an average of 65 calls a year between 2020 and 2022 related to off-road vehicle use. Between 2023 and 2024 that number rose to 80 a year, and this year, as of the end of October this year, the force had received 100 calls.In New Brunswick, off-road vehicles can operate on approved trails or on their owners’ property. (CBC)The department would not provide an interview but said complaints are not exclusive to municipal parks. Creamer said the force has been “excellent” in hearing concerns. “The greater good is at play here,” Creamer said. “They don’t want a 13-year-old kid on an ATV to become injured because they gave chase to a vehicle.”Tim O’Reilly, the city’s public works director, said officers can use number plates on off-road vehicles to lay charges. But enforcement comes with challenges for officers, such as getting close enough to see the plates. “And then in some cases there are ATV’s out there that are simply not registered,” O’Reilly said. “And in those cases, you can’t identify the actual number on the ATV.”Off-road vehicles can also often operate in woods and other areas where police cars can’t, he said.Off-roaders regret ‘bad apples’ATV groups have pushed to get access to more city roads. Over the summer, the city did open some small stretches of road to off-road vehicles as a pilot project.QuadNB, a group that helps ATV clubs develop and maintain trails, said the actions of a few have an impact on an entire sport. Jacques Ouellette, the group’s development co-ordinator, wants those who violate local bylaws to stop. “Because you’re hurting us, and by giving us a bad reputation you’re hurting the sport, and you’re hurting yourself,” he said. Jacques Ouellette of QuadNB says the actions of a few have an impact on the whole sport. (Nipun Tiwari/CBC)He says such activity harms relationships between off-road communities and local authorities.The organization has no enforcement powers outside of managed ATV trails and believes education is key, he said. Ouellette said that QuadNB has seen a growth in the sport’s popularity in recent years, both among local people and tourists. Granting access to some portions of the street has worked in other areas to avoid problems, he said“We cannot fix the problem, but we will definitely be open to work with the municipality to see if we can find a partial solution to redirect those users to somewhere else,” he said. Resident Gina Hooley, who likes to ride ATVs, agrees with both Creamer and Ouellette. She said opening more roads so that community members and off-roaders can “co-exist” would help enforcement.“Unfortunately, one bad apple can ruin it for all, right?” she said.Dooley hopes local off-roading groups and the city can find common ground, but she believes prevention and enforcement can only happen if society becomes more accepting of off-road vehicles. “I’m an ATV enthusiast myself, and I’m not going to go bang a wheelie down McAlister Drive,” she said. “You’ve got to know when to do things in safe places.”The city will wait a year or two to see if the pilot is successful, but there are no current plans to open more roads to off-road vehicles, O’Reilly said.
Off-road vehicles in Saint John park provoke calls for more enforcement
