VANCOUVER – Remember those golden days before bass-heavy car stereos and massive power tools, when Sundays were silent?
No? Neither does Bowen Island, a community just north of Vancouver-area’s Horseshoe Bay.
A group of residents from the quickly urbanizing community, 20 kilometres northwest of Vancouver, is hoping to ban all objectionable noises – such as construction, power equipment use, loud music and loud cars – on Sunday, unless a special permit has been obtained.
Under the new proposal, exceptions would be made for emergency vehicles and sounds from lawn and garden maintenance activities, such as lawn-mowing and weed-whacking, which would be allowed from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Bowen Island already has a noise bylaw in place that limits most objectionable noises from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. on weekdays and 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekends, but an entire day of silence would be new.
James Tuer, a Bowen Island architect and resident, scoffed at the proposal.
"Our council’s pretty busy with bigger issues . . . and real problems, versus this perceived problem by probably a few curmudgeon(ly) old folks who like to hang out in their pyjamas on Sundays and read the New York Times," he said.
Tuer’s wife, Penny Naldrett, agreed.
"It’s a minor issue," said the Bowen Island realtor. "They’re wasting a lot of time on something that is not at the forefront of most people’s minds."
Naldrett also noted that many Bowen Island residents are away during the week and may not be able to accomplish noisy chores during the shrinking window of allowable times.
Even gardener Jennifer McIntyre, who is awoken daily by a construction site next door to her home, believes an all-day ban on noise is "kind of silly." Instead, McIntyre suggested tweaking the hours of the existing bylaw to allow island residents to savour the morning hours of the weekend.
"I’d be in favour of a noise bylaw that (would allow noise) after 10 or 11 a.m. on weekends so working people can sleep in, listen to the birds chirp and the crackle of the wood stove," she said.
The proposed bylaw revision was first discussed in municipal council on Sept. 20 and brought back for a first reading on Tuesday, according to Bowen Island Municipality corporate officer Kathy Lalonde. The city will now seek public consultation before proceeding with a second reading.
If the revision passes, the earliest it would go into effect is next spring.
Comments
Want to discuss? Please read our Commenting Policy first.