A Saint John, N.B. business owner says the city’s by-laws around noise isn’t written fairly — especially when it comes to visiting cruise ships.
Sara Gradim, the owner of Club Rewind, says the musical horns from cruise ships is so loud, it rattles her windows.
“I thought it was happening in my own backyard,” she said.
In contrast, she says she lost about $100,000 switching from a nightclub to general events just 18 months after opening, due to noise restrictions.
“(There is) unfair treatment that is given to small business owners sometimes, when it’s okay with others that are larger scaled,” she said, adding that she and two other lounges were “hit with noise complaints” almost nightly.
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“Every time I hear (…) that cruise ship when it pulls in, it is a reminder of everything I lost.”
The city’s noise by-law bans loudspeakers and microphones for entertainment if they disturb two or more people at any time. Festivals and city-approved events are exempt.
Dwayne Marcial is vice-chair of Music NB, and the former owner of two nightclubs. He says those businesses were shut down in part due to noise by-law challenges.
“These artists can’t go there and perform. It really hurts the whole ecosystem of the music scene here,” he said.
Port of Saint John says it’s looking into the recent noise complaints tied to cruise ships and is working with cruise lines to balance passenger experience with community impact.
Meanwhile, Gradim and Marcial say they just want the city’s laws updated to help keep the local entertainment scene alive.
“Just give the respect to the small business owners that definitely need to be there so that they can continue and prosper because the backbone of all cities is small businesses,” said Gradim.
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