Exemption does come with concerns, says Legion President Roy Haggart
By Casandra Turnbull
It was music to his ears earlier this month as Branch 29 President Roy Haggart and legion members received news that they were granted an exemption to the noise bylaw. The legion successfully lobbied to bring music back to their patio this summer, however, that exemption doesn’t come without some concerns, said Haggart.
He was before council on Tuesday, along with Legion 1st Vice President Earl MacDonald to bring forward some of those concerns and challenge council to examine how county staff grant noise bylaw exemptions.
He started by thanking council and staff for support throughout the process, noting Legion members are extremely grateful for the opportunity to continue to provide outdoor entertainment on the patio, which is a major source of revenue for the non-profit organization. That revenue in turn is donated back to the community through various fundraisers, sponsorships and donations.
“Along with thanks, we have some concerns. It’s the concerns that led us to where we are in the first place, fundamentally communication,” Haggart explained.
The exemption states that staff have authorized bylaw officers to request that the music be turned down if complaints are received and that it’s at the discretion of the bylaw officer to determine if something is excessively loud. Repercussions could lead to the exemption becoming null and void. “I don’t know how many bylaw officers you have or OPP officers that could be involved, but each one of those persons could have a different opinion (of loud),” said Haggart, questioning why the County’s noise bylaw cannot outline specific decibel levels to determine appropriate levels of noise, mirroring the City of Toronto’s noise bylaw. “This would provide consistency on site rather than staff trying to determine what is appropriate,” he added.
Councillor Lukas Oakley suggested county staff should investigate the possibility incorporating decibel levels into the noise bylaw and exemptions to the bylaw. He commented, “I would really like us to look into something more quantitative, like decibel level, versus a more qualitative level, even though its more flexible.”
Oakley also pointed out this would help provide more firm guidelines for all exemptions, making note that there are events of larger magnitude that take place in the community and decibel levels could help govern those events in a more fair and consistent process.
In the end, Haggart reiterated that he hopes county staff will continue to keep the open lines of communication open and if a complaint is received, he hopes
they will work with the Legion, instead of making the decision to shut down an event or pull the exemption.
“Can you let us know if there is a problem? Rather than shut us down for one person in a neighbourhood of 400 or 500 people?” He added the last time that happened it cost the Legion a $6,000 loss in just one fundraiser, not to mention the loss of revenue the remainder of the summer.He also noted the Legion held a successful neighbourhood meeting last fall to communicate to neighbours how important the music was to the success of the BBQs, and in turn the success of the Legion remaining self-sufficient and good community ambassadors. This small victory means a lot to the Legion and its volunteers who host BBQs throughout the summer and when the music is playing, they say attendance increases between 500% - 600%.
This exemption will allow them to play amplified music and sound producing instruments on the outdoor patio between May 1st to October 31st this year, on select days and/or weekends between 12 pm to 8 pm.
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