Several residents in Kingston’s west end are feeling a rumble in their own homes lately.
The vibrations are coming from a company that’s been blasting rock for a nearby development in the area. Chris Hall, a veteran of Afghanistan and Lebanon, says he’s tired of being shaken in his own house.
“Over the last three days or so, my house has been shaking every hour or so,” said Hall, a resident living more than a kilometre away from the construction site.
The 62-year-old says that having experienced the shockwave of bombs during war, it’s unnerving to feel it so close to home.
“These are big explosions, if I’m feeling them a kilometre away,” says Hall. “Given the distance, I shouldn’t be feeling those blasts.”
The blasting is all part of a major subdivision project owned by Tamarack Homes, currently underway in the city’s west end. Workers say the controlled explosions are meant to blast through limestone, allowing construction crews to install underground infrastructure.
While on site, Global News did hear the loud boom, but our cameras didn’t catch the sound. When crews set off the explosives, though, Hall says it rattles everything in his cupboards.
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“It’s a loud noise, then the house shakes for two or three seconds,” says Hall. “The glasses and the dishes in the cupboard rattle about, and then we know there was another blast.”
Hall says he isn’t the only area resident who has complained about the rumbling problem.
“For some of my friends who can’t go out near fireworks, loud noises, it’s a bad thing,” Hall said. “You don’t know what kind of reaction you’re going to get.”
District councillor Robert Kiley confirms he has received several complaints since the work began. In an emailed statement to Global News, Kiley said, “I have heard from many people, veterans, moms with young kids and kids with senior parents that are concerned about their health and property.”
The councillor says he has brought their concerns to the developer and is working with city staff to find a solution. But Hall thinks the problem should have been addressed sooner.
“They’ve been aware of it for some time,” he said. “It shouldn’t have gotten to this point.”
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