A B.C. mother has been warned to rein in the outdoor activities of her three children, after neighbours complained that their play was causing too much of a disturbance.
Jana D'Addabbo was recently served with a bylaw warning from the City of Coquitlam, instructing her to control the noise coming from her property when her kids are outside. The city also instructs her to talk to her kids about riding scooters and skateboards in the street.
The city says the warning is a last resort to get D'Addabbo's three children, aged 8, 8 and 6, to play more quietly.
D'Addabbo says her children are just being kids and enjoying the spring weather, but the city says their activities have been an ongoing problem.
"We've worked with this particular household for four years and it's been a real challenge," Coquitlam Mayor Richard Stewart told CTV Vancouver on Monday.
The city says it issued a similar warning to D'Addabbo around this time last year. "It's a very extreme case of disturbing behaviour from a group of children, and from some adults, that has disturbed the neighbourhood," Stewart said.
D'Addabbo acknowledges that her children can be loud, but she says a bylaw warning is not warranted.
"No one has ever asked me to keep my kids quiet," she told CTV Vancouver. She added that she finds it "bizarre" that neighbours would complain to the city, instead of speaking to her directly.
"If you have an issue, come talk to me. I'll try and keep my kids quiet," she said.
One neighbour told CTV Vancouver that the children can be heard using coarse language, and occasionally demonstrate behaviour "that can endanger others."
The neighbour declined to be identified, and said she was not the one who made the complaint to the city. She also said a group of neighbours did go to D'Addabbo with their concerns, before reporting the issue to officials.
But D'Addabbo insists her kids are simply being kids.
"What's next?" she said. "They're going to play outside (and) I'm going to get a ticket this time?"
With files from CTV Vancouver
