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91ƵI91Ƶm there to help91Ƶ: Sicamous bylaw officer prioritizes community education

Longtime resident John Moore worked with road rescue society and is passionate about public safety
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Sicamous bylaw enforcement officer John Moore has a passion for his community and prioritizes an education-first approach. (Rebecca Willson-Eagle Valley News)

For Sicamous91Ƶ bylaw enforcement officer, education is the name of the game.

John Moore has lived in Sicamous for nearly 34 years and has held many titles, but everything he does he attributes to a passion for helping and educating his community.

Moore retired from the Eagle Valley Rescue Society after 27 years, he said, and switched careers paths just before the pandemic began. He was running his own first aid safety company and when the pandemic shuttered business, he lost many of his contracts. That was when he inquired about the bylaw officer position with the district.

After a six-month trial, he and the district felt he was a good fit for the job and he91Ƶs been the full-time officer since the summer of 2020.

91ƵI love being out and talking to people,91Ƶ said Moore. 91ƵA lot of my careers were around education, either of crew members on site and teaching people how to do things properly and safely, making sure work rules were being followed, so this is just another fit.91Ƶ

Moore prides himself on making sure people understand the regulations and bylaws in place and informing residents so they can make their own decisions and 91Ƶbe on the same page.91Ƶ

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At the July 26 committee of the whole meeting, while sharing a bylaw statistics update, district staff said most infractions seem to be coming from people doing something just out of the scope of what91Ƶs allowed without knowing or meaning to, and Moore agreed.

91ƵThat91Ƶs part of why the district and myself really press on the education portion of it, because there are so many people that don91Ƶt understand that what they91Ƶve done is not permitted.

91ƵEducation is the best way for us to get the message across.91Ƶ

The district has seen traffic and good neighbour bylaw tickets mostly so far this year, for a total of 151 valued at $15,500. The value of fines and fees collected so far totals $3,100, and 202291Ƶs total was $27,733.50. Mayor Colleen Anderson commended Moore on a job well done at the meeting.

Bylaw enforcement sometimes begins with a 91Ƶknock and talk91Ƶ house visit to discuss what Moore has noticed is out of line with a bylaw, he said, or a letter sent with contact information to the property owner. There are no penalties applied until a polite and informative conversation has been had, he emphasized.

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What Moore has been most impressed with is the youth of Sicamous.

He91Ƶs mostly dealt with issues surrounding alcohol and narcotics use, safety and public cleanliness with the younger population, but he said he explains the bylaws to them and, for the most part, they understand the repercussions and change their ways or move along if he asks.

91ƵThey91Ƶre maybe not always compliant, but they do respect it and they91Ƶre really good about taking care of it. They91Ƶve also started cleaning up other people91Ƶs issues, just to assist so that it makes them look better and of course it makes Sicamous look better.91Ƶ

Sicamous has a different dynamic when it comes to what bylaw handles versus the RCMP, said Moore. He said most communities would have police respond first to an underage drinking call, but he has a good rapport with the local youth population and he91Ƶs able to have conversations with them that are working.

91ƵIt means our police resources can go to something of a more serious nature rather than dealing with a bunch of kids that are being loud and rambunctious,91Ƶ he said. 91ƵI normally have a faster response time too, because the RCMP have such a larger patrol area.91Ƶ

The most worrisome thing on Moore91Ƶs mind lately has been a shift he91Ƶs seen in society surrounding general public safety. For example, he now has to wear a bulletproof vest when he used to go out in a t-shirt.

91ƵWhile I do appreciate the safety requirement, it does sometimes make people feel it91Ƶs a more intimidating presence. The police are there, black and white, to enforce the regulations. I91Ƶm there to help.91Ƶ

Moore91Ƶs passion for helping his community in emergencies continues to thrive although he91Ƶs taken a less active approach on the front lines. He remains vocal about memorial crosses along the Bruhn Bridge staying intact during the infrastructure project, because the crosses denote tragedies that rescuers weren91Ƶt able to prevent, despite best efforts.

91ƵSomebody vandalized one of the memorials we put up, and that was, to me, a very traumatic incident. I91Ƶm hoping that, when the new bridge goes in, the contractor will replaces the crosses, maintain them, just out of respect for the people that passed and made it necessary for us to get the replacement.91Ƶ

He also stressed both the rescue society and the local fire departments always need volunteers. Information about both organizations can be found on the .

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rebecca.willson@saobserver.net

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Rebecca Willson

About the Author: Rebecca Willson

I took my first step into the journalism industry in November 2022 when I moved to Salmon Arm to work for the Observer and Eagle Valley News. I graduated with a journalism degree in December 2021 from MacEwan University in Edmonton.
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