Brant fights province’s plan to ban speed cameras

Casandra Turnbull

Managing Editor

The County of Brant is taking a stand against the provincial government’s plan to ban automated speed enforcement (ASE) cameras, saying the local program has already delivered measurable safety benefits and should not be scrapped.

At a special meeting on September 29, councillors unanimously endorsed a staff report and a letter to Premier Doug Ford urging the province to reconsider its proposed ban. The move comes just days after the Premier announced legislation will be introduced in October to eliminate ASE across Ontario, framing the cameras as a “cash grab” by municipalities

Brant launched its ASE program in February 2025 with a single camera outside North Ward Public School in Paris. According to county data, speeding during school hours dropped dramatically – from 64 per cent of vehicles before installation to 34 per cent by August. Average speeds also fell from 43.5 km/h to 38.6 km/h

The program has since expanded, with a second camera activated in St. George in mid-September and a third planned for Mount Pleasant Road later this fall

County staff stressed that Brant’s approach has been incremental, prioritizing education and fairness. Drivers are prevented from receiving multiple tickets before their first notice, and the county has set a confidential threshold to avoid ticketing for minimal offences – addressing concerns that some municipalities issue fines for exceeding the limit by just 1 km/h.

While the ASE program has generated revenue, staff emphasized it is designed to be revenue-neutral. As of August 31, the county had collected about $595,000 in fines. After expenses, an estimated $230,000 surplus was directed into Brant’s Road Safety Reserve Fund, which supports projects such as the proposed Burtch Street roundabout, noted Halie Gilmore, Project Manager, Corporate Strategy

“We tried to get ahead of the feedback of it being a ‘cash grab’ by establishing the Road Safety Reserve Fund policy to clearly outline how any revenue or surplus from the program would be used for road safety,” she said.

Beyond continued operating costs, the initial set-up costs for one camera, including equipment and signage, totalled $141,000, with another $100,000 invested in research and staff time since 2019.

Councillors voiced frustration with the province’s framing of ASE as a financial tool.

“Speeding is a crime. It’s very normalized but you are breaking the law when you do it and the ticket is the punishment,” said Councillor Lukas Oakley.

Councillor John Bell pointed to statistics showing 40,000 speeding incidents recorded between February and August. “Speeding remains a problem. Cameras or not, it exists,” he said.

Others noted the province also collects significant fees from each ticket through victim surcharge payments, and that alternatives like speed humps and roundabouts still carry taxpayer costs, if they can’t be collected through reserve funds like the one the county set up for surplus revenue. 

Councillor Brian Coleman said he was playing the devil’s advocate. “I think they (cameras) have been abused by some municipalities and that is where the Premier is coming from,” said Coleman. 

He also noted some constituents are asking why they are getting a ticket on a Sunday evening at 10 pm in a school safety zone, when there’s no school and the purpose of the camera is the make community safety zones safer. “That is where the public is getting upset,” said Coleman. 

He also had concerns that the cameras are only capturing speeders in urban areas, not the rural areas “What  we are doing here is worrying about what is happening in town – it doesn’t touch speeding in the rural areas.”

The Ford government insists the ban will protect drivers from unnecessary costs while still supporting road safety. A new provincial fund will be created to help municipalities install traffic-calming measures such as speed bumps, roundabouts, and flashing-light signage, says the province.

“Too many municipalities are using speed cameras as a cash grab,” Ford said during the September 25 announcement. “Instead of making life more expensive by sending speeding tickets weeks after the fact, we’re supporting measures that prevent speeding in the first place”

In its letter to the Premier, the County argued ASE frees up OPP resources, complements broader speed-limit reductions in neighbourhoods, and directs the cost of enforcement to offenders rather than taxpayers.

“Reversing course now would not only undermine these gains but also waste taxpayer dollars,” says the letter drafted by the County and endorsed by Council. “We urge the Province to collaborate with municipalities and industry professionals to evaluate the program and determine improvements, rather than prohibiting this tool”

The proposed provincial legislation is expected to be tabled October 20, when the legislature returns from summer recess. If passed, the ban would take effect immediately upon Royal Assent.

In the meantime, Brant councillors have directed staff to continue operating the ASE program, monitor legislative developments, and advocate for its continuation.