Tom Batiuk
Dear editor:
I am writing this letter to the editor in protest to the concerned citizen who felt it was necessary to contact the police regarding my 10-and-a-half year-old son delivering his paper routes 33A, 33B, and 34.
This person, whoever you are, felt it was necessary to report my son for delivering his newspapers with a 2012 Arctic Cat 90 ATV. This unit is licensed for use in the province of Ontario and the plate for it is clearly displayed on it.
My son has been taught from a young age (seven) to ride this ATV. He’s been taught to be respectful of people’s property. He’s not permitted to drive on lawns or cross King’s Highway with it.
The unit is governed to just 15 km/h. It also has a six-foot safety flag attached and he wears a helmet with no exceptions.
He also has been taught to ride respectfully and according to all safety and traffic laws in the province of Ontario.
My questions to this concerned citizen are:
1). Why do you think that a motorized ATV isn’t an appropriate newspaper delivery vehicle?
2). Why do you feel it’s important to prevent him from completing his work quickly and efficiently utilizing a child’s ATV?
3). How could you possibly think this is an unsafe method for delivering newspapers?
I must protest this silly complaint!
Clearly a two-wheeled bicycle is the requirement these days for delivering newspapers. It’s quiet. Doesn’t contain a ridiculously tall safety flag. Can go much faster than 15 km/h and, lastly, doesn’t require a driver’s license to operate on streets, sidewalks, and alleys within the Town of Fort Frances.
Sadly, this is the only catch that prevents riding a motorized ATV according to the police. I think this law needs to be changed or updated.
What do you think? Let’s get this flowing on social media and enact some change for the better in Fort Frances and in Ontario.
My fear in all of this is that riding a nice quiet bicycle is more hazardous than a louder, lime green, safety-flag toting child’s ATV.
We will cease and desist but not before I ask you this: What is so wrong with people these days to think that teaching your children from a young age to respect traffic laws and people’s property, and maintain a job for more than three years now, is so bad?
As such, I thought rewarding him with a faster and more efficient way to complete his work was the appropriate thing that, as a parent, I should do. Am I wrong?
My son, Daxxen Batiuk, proudly has delivered the Fort Frances Times since he was seven years old—through every weather condition that Mother Nature can toss his way!
Who would have thought that trying to make his job more efficient and faster would create such a stir in someone’s mind that they felt the need to report him to the police, and prevent him from further learning to be respectful of using a motorized child’s ATV within the Town of Fort Frances.
To this individual I say . . . shame on you!
Lastly, I would like to say thank you to the police officer who came by to chat with me. It’s clear that you understand and get what needs to be done to raise your children in this day and age correctly.
You are just upholding the law after being contacted as it’s laid out in the province of Ontario. For this I have much respect.
To all of the other citizens in this quiet community who think this is either right or wrong, I ask you to chime in. Let’s hear it!
(Signed),
Tom Batiuk,
Fort Frances, Ont.
