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| photo by Jake Fowler |
A bylaw of the Thompson-Nicola Regional District to regulate the making or causing of noises
The 4-page document outlines the bylaw in detail (PDF), and the TNRD bylaw enforcement web page provides information about how to initiate a complaint. Here are the general regulations from the bylaw document:
6.1 No person shall make or cause, or permit or be made or caused, any excessive or persistent noise which disturbs or tends to disturb the quiet, peace, rest, enjoyment, comfort, or convenience of the neighbourhood or persons in the vicinity.
6.2 No person being the owner or occupier or tenant of real property shall allow or permit such real property to be used so that excessive or persistent noise which occurs therein or emanates there from, disturbs or tends to disturb the quiet, peace, rest, enjoyment, comfort, or convenience of the neighbourhood or persons in the vicinity.
6.3 No person shall play or operate any radio, stereophonic equipment or other instrument or any apparatus for the production or amplification of sound either in or on private premises or in any public place in a manner which disturbs or tends to disturb the quiet, peace, rest, enjoyment, comfort or convenience of the neighbourhood or persons in the vicinity.
6.4 No person that owns, keeps or harbours any dog or other animal, or any number of dogs or other animals, shall permit such dog(s) or animal(s), to make or cause excessive or persistent noise, by cries, barking or howling, which disturbs or tends to disturb the quiet, peace, rest, enjoyment, comfort, or convenience of the neighbourhood or persons in the vicinity.The bylaw was initiated by residents who live near Angels Animal Rescue in Merritt, and the focus on dogs is reflected in the rather unusual wording "dogs or other animals". However, the bylaw is meant to address any type of "excessive or persistent noise".
The Armchair Mayor News reported that Ronaye Elliot, Director of Area J (which includes Lac Le Jeune) gave notice that she would not support the bylaw in her area: “My folks have said to me they don’t want a noise bylaw.” However, the outcome is that the bylaw will apply to all 10 electoral areas.
A Bylaw Infraction Complaint Form and a Barking Dog Incident Form (again, a form for dogs but not other types of noise?) are available on the web. Hopefully residents of Lac Le Jeune won't ever need to download them! Thankfully, anonymous complaints are not permitted. And here's some advice: If you are ever on the receiving end of a complaint, keep your own noise logs.
Thanks to Howie Mattfeld for suggesting we post information about this new bylaw on the blog.
3 comments:
Does that under 6.1 include dogs that incessantly bark on a continuous basis?
TNRD says yes if it is documented to prove it is disruptive. You can access a dog noise log on the tnrd bylaws web page for just such a problem. Obviously sporadic barking and howling are normal with dogs but when it is excessive and disruptive it indicates a more serious problem with the conditions the dogs are living in.....SPCA would be a good resource as well.
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