As a City Council, we want Abbotsford to be a community where neighbourhoods remain safe, healthy and a great place to live, work and play. One way we all contribute to that is by being a good neighbour.
To help modernize our City services and guidelines to be more effective and efficient, we’ve merged two 20-year-old bylaws – the Good Neighbour Bylaw of 2003 and the Controlled Substance Property Bylaw of 2006 – to create a new, modernized Good Neighbour Bylaw, promoting community well-being and supporting comprehensive, interconnected problem-solving.
Consolidating the two bylaws streamlines and provides increased clarity to these regulations, while simplifying the City's approach to managing property standards and controlled substances and enhancing enforcement efficiency.
There are a number of key changes as a result of this new bylaw that you may find interesting:
- Light pollution: New light pollution rules require outdoor lights to be shielded to avoid disturbing others, with exceptions for streetlights, vehicle lights and certain seasonal and recreational lights.
- Dumping: Dumping prohibitions will be expanded to include discarded materials and garbage on private property and require prompt removal and remediation by offenders.
- Infrastructure aesthetics:
- Updated guidelines will ensure buildings and fences are free from decay or instability, enhancing neighborhood safety and appearance.
- Property owners must prevent and eliminate noxious weeds in compliance with provincial and federal regulations.
- Vacant properties: New mandates will require vacant properties to be secured with structural barriers, security fencing, alarms and patrols.
- Controlled substance regulations: There will be enhanced coordination for safety inspections with relevant authorities to ensure timely identification of hazardous conditions and support the execution of criminal investigation warrants and prompt responses to emergency calls. The definition of “controlled substance” has also been changed to align with federal regulations, encompassing lawful possession authorized by the Minister of Health. This broader scope applies to specific authorizations or orders, ensuring comprehensive compliance.
You can read the modernized Good Neighbour Bylaw here. To view the staff presentation to City Council where staff provide an overview of the updates to the bylaw and address Councillors’ questions, click here.
The City’s approach to bylaw compliance prioritizes educating the public and promoting facilitated compliance. We will be updating our Good Neighbour Guide and communicating the changes to residents through our social media channels. Our bylaws team will then work with people to help them come into compliance with the new Good Neighbour Bylaw.
If you wish to report a bylaw infraction, please fill out a Bylaw Service Request. For more information, check the Bylaw Services page on the City of Abbotsford website.
As a City Council it is our mission to continually improve the quality of life in our community. This new Good Neighbour Bylaw will help make Abbotsford a safer, cleaner and more peaceful place to live, work and play.
Abbotsford City Council