Photo: Evan Taylor.
Residents in Mahone Bay are voicing concerns over a proposed noise by-law the town is exploring implementing.
According to the council documents presented at the by-laws first reading between 7:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. noise above 65 decibels (dBA) would be in violation and subject to fines, then between 9:00 p.m. to 7:00 a.m. the threshold lowers to 55 dBA.
The reason many residents are concerned are that those numbers appear to be quite low, when you look at how loud some everyday tasks are- for example, a normal conversation is estimated to register around 60 dBA, while things like a hair dryer or flushing a toilet come in at around 85 dBA.
A chart showing the noise levels of various things. Photo: Hearing Health Foundation.
Social media pages from around the South Shore have seen multiple residents complain about the proposed by-law citing concerns about how it will prohibit things like children playing, musical events and other everyday things that many feel do not disturb the town at large.
The by-law does have provisions in place for some exceptions including approved construction, emergency vehicles, church bells, holidays and more.
You can read the full proposed by-law in the June 27th Mahone Bay Council Agenda Package.
Our request for an interview with Mayor David Devinee have not been returned, however, the town has scheduled a public hearing on the matter that will take place Thursday, July 27 at 6:30 p.m., it will immediately be followed by a council meeting where the by-law is scheduled for its second reading and implementation, should it receive the necessary votes.
