Connect with us

Canada News

Montreal suburb passes summer long ban on leaf blowers after heated debate

Published

on

Bourelle said leaf blowers raise health concerns due to noise and air pollution, as well as the dispersion of fine particles he says can contribute respiratory and cardiovascular illness. (Shutterstock)

Bourelle said leaf blowers raise health concerns due to noise and air pollution, as well as the dispersion of fine particles he says can contribute respiratory and cardiovascular illness. (Shutterstock)

BEACONSFIELD, Que. — Tensions erupted in a Montreal suburb after councillors voted to pass a contentious summer-long ban on leaf blowers.

Protesters gathered with signs outside city hall in Beaconsfield, Que., as a debate that has divided the community’s 20,000 residents came to a head Monday evening.

Mayor Georges Bourelle said councillors voted 5-1 in favour of banning leaf blowers between June 1 and Sept. 30 starting next year, despite vocal opposition from many of the more than 100 residents who attended the meeting.

Police were called as a precaution after one councillor was allegedly threatened by a person who opposed the regulations, the mayor said.

Bourelle said he could barely get a word out between the heckling, yelling and other disruptions from the crowd.

During question period, some protesters shouted down neighbours who voiced their support for the regulations, he said.

“I think a number of (supporters) would have come up to the mic, but … after they saw the intimidation and the bullying that took place, I doubt that they were willing to do it.”

Bourelle said leaf blowers raise health concerns due to noise and air pollution, as well as the dispersion of fine particles he says can contribute respiratory and cardiovascular illness.

He cited World Health Organization guidelines on exposure to noise and airborne particulate matter, saying there are studies to suggest that leaf blowers violate these standards.

But opponents of the leaf-blower restrictions refute Bourelle’s claims as not backed up by concrete evidence.

The managing director of the Canadian Urban Environmental Health Research Consortium has said the health effects of prolonged exposure to noise, fuel emissions and airborne particles have been well documented, but more research is needed to assess the actual level of risk posed by leaf blowers.

Several business owners have rallied against the summer-long ban on leaf blowers, saying the landscaping tool is essential to their operations during peak season.

Before the city’s intervention, resident Toni Lemieux said leaf blowers weren’t particularly high on her radar, nor was she active in municipal politics.

But Lemieux said council’s unwillingness to hear citizens’ concerns about the leaf-blower restrictions “lit a fire” under her.

She decided to organize Monday’s demonstration, which she branded with the hashtags #NotMyMayor and #BringBackTransparency.

“They seem to be treating this in a very paternalistic way,” said Lemieux. “There was no process to hear us out or try to see if there’s a better way to manage this.”

While she doesn’t approve of neighbour-on-neighbour incivility, Lemieux said respect is a two-way street, and in her estimation, councillors have shown little respect for their constituents’ objections.

She said many citizens would be amenable to less stringent restrictions on leaf blowers.

A city-commissioned poll gauging public sentiment on the debate was made public Tuesday.

The poll found that only 28 per cent of 600 residents surveyed were in favour of a ban on all types leaf blowers during the summer months, while there was majority support for restrictions on gas-powered machines.

The results of the phone survey, conducted by Leger between April 17 and 22, were considered accurate within a margin of plus or minus four percentage points, 19 times out of 20.

As far as Bourelle is concerned, the leaf-blower matter has been settled, and he’s confident council came to the right decision, regardless of the potential political fallout.

“I don’t think that council manages this city’s affairs based on elections,” he said.

Other Canadian cities have faced their own battles to muffle leaf blowers.

Two nearby suburbs of Montreal have implemented restrictions on leaf-blowers in recent years, said Bourelle.

Leaf blowers cannot be operated in Vancouver’s west end, and there are regulations on the machines’ use throughout the city.

 

Continue Reading
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Maria in Vancouver

Maria in Vancouver5 days ago

Fantabulous Christmas Party Ideas

It’s that special and merry time of the year when you get to have a wonderful excuse to celebrate amongst...

Lifestyle2 weeks ago

How To Do Christmas & Hanukkah This Year

Christmas 2024 is literally just around the corner! Here in Vancouver, we just finished celebrating Taylor Swift’s last leg of...

Lifestyle1 month ago

Nobody Wants This…IRL (In Real Life)

Just like everyone else who’s binged on Netflix series, “Nobody Wants This” — a romcom about a newly single rabbi...

Lifestyle2 months ago

Family Estrangement: Why It’s Okay

Family estrangement is the absence of a previously long-standing relationship between family members via emotional or physical distancing to the...

Lifestyle3 months ago

Becoming Your Best Version

By Matter Laurel-Zalko As a woman, I’m constantly evolving. I’m constantly changing towards my better version each year. Actually, I’m...

Lifestyle3 months ago

The True Power of Manifestation

I truly believe in the power of our imagination and that what we believe in our lives is an actual...

Maria in Vancouver4 months ago

DECORATE YOUR HOME 101

By Matte Laurel-Zalko Our home interiors are an insight into our brains and our hearts. It is our own collaboration...

Maria in Vancouver5 months ago

Guide to Planning a Wedding in 2 Months

By Matte Laurel-Zalko Are you recently engaged and find yourself in a bit of a pickle because you and your...

Maria in Vancouver5 months ago

Staying Cool and Stylish this Summer

By Matte Laurel-Zalko I couldn’t agree more when the great late Ella Fitzgerald sang “Summertime and the livin’ is easy.”...

Maria in Vancouver6 months ago

Ageing Gratefully and Joyfully

My 56th trip around the sun is just around the corner! Whew. Wow. Admittedly, I used to be afraid of...