When is loud too loud? Council requests noise bylaw review in Halifax region

Halifax regional council has asked for a review of the municipality's noise bylaw to see if a noise level that is measured by a decibel reading can be included.

At a recent council meeting, Coun. Cathy Deagle-Gammon said the request was prompted by numerous complaints from residents in her Waverley-Fall River-Musquodoboit Valley district.

"People saying, 'How do you determine it?' Sound should be measured. Who decides loud is too loud and unreasonably disturbs the peace and tranquillity of a neighbourhood?" said Deagle-Gammon.

Coun. Trish Purdy has also been involved in a number of disputes over noise in her district of Cole Harbour-Westphal-Lake Loon-Cherry Brook.

"This ruins peoples' lives when you're living beside a neighbour that is just not respectful at all with noise, music and parties," said Purdy.

Purdy said one homeowner has decided to move due to mental stress stemming from noise issues with her neighbour.

10 years since last review

Coun. Kathryn Morse said she received complaints over the summer in her Halifax-Bedford Basin West district because of outdoor community events.

"The music was so loud it was almost intolerable for the people living nearby, yet it was very difficult to enforce and a dispute over how noisy it really was," said Morse.

Coun. Waye Mason cautioned that creating a measurement to use in the noise bylaw is not as easy as it sounds.

"You have to be trained on the decibel meter, it has to be a proper kind of technology and it has to be from a consistent distance," said Mason. "If any of that is in any way not OK, the case is going to get tossed out of court."

But Mason agreed to a review because it has been 10 years since the noise bylaw has been updated.