Kingston council votes in favour of Queen’s University’s noise exemption for Richardson Stadium

Kingston city councillors held their final regular meeting Tuesday night before the summer break kicks in.

A portion of Tuesday’s meeting and debate was taken up by a request from Queen’s University to renew a noise bylaw exemption which allows for amplified sound at Richardson Stadium for Varsity football games and community groups.

“In this proposal, we are suggesting we have one request, allowing community groups to have a maximum of 20 occurrences”, says Leslie Dal Cin, executive director of Queen’s Athletics and Recreation, “The community groups include the Grenadiers, Casa, the Clippers, etc.

“And these groups are already using the stadium. This model brings all these exemptions into one request, rather than multiple requests that come to the city council.”

It would allow the noise to continue until 9 p.m. for no more than 12 occurrences this fall, plus another 32 games next year involving both University teams and community sporting events.

“I don’t see why amplified music is needed,” said councillor Rob Hutchison.

The District 11, King’s Town councillor had his concerns.

“They’ve got whistles, they’ve got announcements and then they want amplified music. Why?” said Hutchison, “What’s the argument? Is it enough to allow for the disturbance of a neighbour?

“There is more than one neighbourhood — there are neighbourhoods all around. I just don’t see that it is justified.”

Kingston Mayor Bryan Paterson urged councillors to support the request.

In the end, councillors voted 9 to 3 to approve the noise exemption.