After a long winter, many Canadians are itching to get outside. But one Calgary family says they’re dreading this summer after a unique alarm was installed in their neighbour’s yard last week.
“I actually thought it was a bird, a really annoying bird for two days,” Chaparral resident Chelsey Reid said. “Then my dad was here barbecuing and he told us, ‘I’m pretty sure it’s sound-activated.'”
The green alarm is pointed directly at the Reid family’s backyard, just a few metres from where the couple’s two young children play. The alarm lets off a high-pitched signal seemingly at random.
WATCH: A Calgary family says a new alarm in their neighbour’s yard is creating all kinds of headaches, suggesting it’s aimed at their children. Tracy Nagai talks to bylaw officials for information on the rules and fines related to noise complaints.
Chelsey posted a video on social media Sunday night, showing her five-year-old son Jax shouting in the backyard, followed immediately by a short burst of sound from the alarm.
“They would rather listen to that than our children,” said Cory Reid, Chelsey’s husband.
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“It’s horrible that we have to deal with this every time we go outside. I don’t know what to do.”
The southeast community of Chaparral is popular with families thanks to a man-made lake located in the centre of the neighbourhood.
“This community has everything we want. It would be perfect, except for this,” Cory said.
The couple said there have been ongoing noise issues with their neighbours since they moved in two years ago, but the alarm has spurred them to escalate the situation.
“We’ve reached out to city bylaw and filed a complaint and have gotten in touch with a community mediator,” Chelsey said.
According to the city’s website: “Citizens have the right not to be disturbed by noise and have the responsibility to not make noise that disturbs others.”
If a sound exceeds a certain amount of decibels over a period of time, city bylaw officers could potentially charge the violator with fines ranging between $250 and $500.
Global News tried to speak with the neighbour that installed the alarm, but were asked to get off his property after a brief conversation.
The man, who did not identify himself, explained the alarm is to control the barking of his dog–and other neighbourhood dogs–and said that he “had no problem with anybody.”
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