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Gates bring peace of mind in country

For acreage owners, a gate at the end of the driveway can have both an aesthetic and calming effect. In light of recent rural crime issues, many residents are turning to gates as a deterrent to protect their properties.
Suzanne Oel
MD Coun. Suzanne Oel said installing gates on rural properties can deter crime and bring more security.

For acreage owners, a gate at the end of the driveway can have both an aesthetic and calming effect. In light of recent rural crime issues, many residents are turning to gates as a deterrent to protect their properties. “Gates are one measure that is helpful to make your home and property less of a target for a burglar or mischief or any of those things, because it takes time and effort and a large vehicle if you were to damage it or try to force yourself in,” said MD of Foothills Coun. Suzanne Oel, who is also the chair of Foothills Regional Emergency Services Commission and the Foothills Rural Crime Watch. They range greatly in style and cost, but the most important thing is to ensure they are as secure as possible, she said. Some opt for electric automatic gates, whereas others use armstrong styles that requires manual opening and closing each time someone leaves or enters the property and may be fastened by a chain, she said. “I would recommend if you’re doing a chain to have a heavy chain, something that takes a really big bolt cutter, which is not as easily obtained, that people don’t tend to carry around,” said Oel. “Make sure it’s something people can’t just break into with force.” She said the locks that are used to fasten chains are just as important, and can be a huge challenge in winter months when they are prone to icing up. Preemptive measures include putting carbon filings in the lock, but in case it doesn’t help it may be necessary to have other tools ready in the vehicle, she said. “Near-frosty conditions, sometimes no matter how great a lock you have it will freeze, so you have to have de-icer and a little tiny torch to carry in your vehicle,” said Oel. She said electric gates offer a lot more convenience – especially not having to get out of the vehicle or fiddle with a lock in the winter – but they come at a much higher price and aren’t always feasible for every acreage or farm. Though they can be more decorative, they also come along with their own set of difficulties, she said. First and foremost, there’s the issue of whether there power can be accessed at the gate location, she said. “Sometimes it depends on your ability to have power to your gate, depending on how long your driveway is,” said Oel. “There are solar and other different options out there now, so if you can put that off to the side out of sight somewhere where it can’t be damaged.” She said no matter what type of gate is installed, the peace of mind it brings makes it worth the cost and any minor inconvenience. For those who worry that installing a gate closes them off from their neighbours, Oel said the sense of community can still be achieved even with closed driveways. “All my neighbours, we’re all in touch and all we do is just give each other a quick call,” she said. “We all have different types of gates, and all we do is phone and say, ‘Can I come over,’ and it hasn’t stopped us from being neighbourly or getting to know our neighbours.” At the very least, when a phone number isn’t known, a note could be left on the gate asking to be called back, she said. “Folks are pretty friendly, they’re just wary of the constant amount of scoping out and crime that’s hitting us right now,” said Oel. Those with gates on their property are also reminded to report their gate codes or key locations to [email protected], so the information can be added to the address information on file, she said. “So when you call in and your address is verified, that information would come up with your address so the emergency responders at the time would have that information,” said Oel. Foothills Regional 911 runs a secure system to receive the private information, she said. After any emergency event the code can be changed to restore peace of mind about the security of the gates, she said.

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