After putting up with factory noise and horrible odours for years, residents of Calgary’s Ramsay community will finally see a solution.
A group of 15 Ramsay residents started legal action against Lilydale in 2011 related to noise and nuisance complaints, which stated that it affected the residents’ enjoyment of their properties.
The settlement with Sofina Foods, the owner of the Lilydale chicken factory, began when Sofina bought the company, as communication was opened with residents. An advisory committee between the community and the company formed to allow changes to be made.
Those changes include a 10-foot sound barrier fence, sound barriers on top of the plant to lesson noise, waste management and trucking schedule change, as well as a misting system to help deodorize the smell coming from the animals at the plant.
“It is going to take out some of the noise irritants and especially the smell; there is an offal bin with all the chicken parts that has been creating a smell for decades,” said John Holt, president of the Ramsay Community Association.
According to resident Robin Tufts, work should be completed within the next two years.
“There are a whole bunch of strategies to reduce the impact of the plant on our residents, trying to reduce the noise and the odours,” Tufts said.
Tufts said he hopes there will also be a better emergency response strategy in the future, so that there are processes in place after incidents such as an ammonia leak caused issues for the neighbourhood in the past.
“It is just going to make the residents a lot happier…and the community quieter and odour-free,” Holt said.
Editor’s note: This story has been updated to correct legal action started in 2011, not in 2009.
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