Citizens unhappy with outdoor fire restrictions

A change to the City of Châteauguay’s regulation, which limits the permitted hours to enjoy an outdoor fire, has caused a lot of discontent on social media this week.

Translation by Paula Dayan-Perez

In a post shared on its Facebook page on April 12th, the City informed that open-air fires in an outdoor fireplace are now only permitted between 4 p.m. and midnight. Over 400 comments were posted, with the majority deeming the rules too restrictive.

“Completely ridiculous! Come on, let us live,” wrote Annie Mazerolle. “Come on, it’s like being in a campground with over $3,000 of taxes a year. We haven’t been able to do anything since 2020, and now we’re limited in our own backyard,” said Manon Turgeon.

The new regulations were adopted in March. The previous month, Châteauguay Mayor Eric Allard had announced the municipal council’s intentions. “It’s to limit people who make fires all day long and cause unpleasant odours for neighbours,” he explained. “We think that fires are an enjoyable recreational activity, so we will limit their use to recreation times.”

Before the rule change, open fires were permitted between 7 a.m. and 11 p.m. in Châteauguay.

Read also : Châteauguay tightening rules for fireplaces and outdoor fires