Kentville council passes Atlantic Canada's first anti-idling bylaw

Councillor Eric Bolland, who chairs the Environmental Advisory Committee, said second and final reading of the bylaw is the climax of about two years of educational efforts on the part of the town.

“It’s a bylaw where we’re putting the health of citizens over convenience,” Bolland said. “It’s a first for Atlantic Canada and something council is proud of.”

The bylaw states that people can idle their vehicle engines for a maximum of three minutes. Bolland said this should give people ample time to scrape their windshields in frosty weather or get their vehicle warmed up and get on their way. It takes less than 30 seconds to sufficiently warm-up an engine before driving.