‘Wish I would have never moved here’: Noise from ATVs has Martensville man considering move

WATCH: One Martensville, Sask. resident tells CTV News he's trying to get his city to deal with the noisy dirt bikes and ATVs in the streets.

A feud is brewing in Martensville, Saskatchewan over the noise of vehicles like dirt bikes and ATVs puttering through the town.

The predominantly off-road vehicles are allowed in the city limits under certain guidelines, but one resident is trying to get the wheels in motion to eliminate them entirely.

“I’ve told the mayor that I wish I would have never moved here. I would rather live someplace else where there’s a little bit more safety without endless noise pollution,” Punch Archer told CTV News.

Archer has taken videos of the ATVs on the road outside his home in Martensville’s northeast corner. Now, he’s taken the issue, and his videos, to city council.

“We moved here three years ago to live close to the city, but not in a city, in a community that was, as Martensville website [says], quote, ‘safe and quiet.’ Well, it didn’t take us two days to realize that that was not the case,” he said.

Noise is not the only concern he has about the vehicles.

Drivers often speed above the 60-kilometre limit, he says, and he routinely sees children driving the vehicles.

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SGI issuer and customer support director Curtis Mead tells CTV News that municipalities decide what works best for their community when it comes to ATVs.

Provincially, Mead says those between the ages of 12 and 16, the legal driving age, must follow specific rules when driving ATVs on public property.

“You can’t travel on the road except to cross, but you have to be accompanied by someone who has a license or took an ATV training,” Mead said.

In nearby Warman, their city bylaw states that ATVs cannot be driven anywhere within city limits.

That’s what Archer wants to see in Martensville.

“I want to live in a safe community, and I want to live in a quiet community,” Archer said.

The City of Martensville is currently conducting a survey on the issue.

“[The] process will run throughout the summer until September. Feedback will help inform potential changes to municipal bylaws, as well as guide improvements in public education and enforcement,” the city says.

Archer is concerned the survey may not be effective if not enough residents know about it.

Martensville RCMP told CTV News in an email it’s encouraging the public to “keep safety top of mind when driving.”

“Traffic laws apply to all automotive vehicles. This includes following the posted speed limits and not distracted driving. Drivers who violate the road regulations may be ticketed.”

In his research, Archer says he discovered another resident brought the issue up back in 2016, but didn’t see results.

“If I see they’re actively doing something, you know, I’m willing to work with you guys in one way or another,” he says.

He plans to attend a city council meeting Tuesday, where the issue is on the agenda.