How do P.E.I. venues deal with noise levels?

Sometimes P.E.I. venues can become quite loud if there is a rival hockey team in town, a loud band or a bunch of monster trucks revving.

Dave McGrath, general manager of the Eastlink Centre in Charlottetown, one of the Island's largest venues, said the arena has had to make some rules about noise.

"We try to find a balance, there has got to be the enjoyment of the fans, there has to be that upbeat experience and the entertainment factor to psych the team up and the fans." 

Most of them tend to congregate together, and they are respectful and they listen to our ushers.— J.P. DesRosiers

Last week, CBC's Island Morning heard concerns from a fan and the P.E.I. Council of People with Disabilities about noisemakers that had been used at basketball games at Three Oaks High School. 

The P.E.I. School Athletic Association said it's considering whether to create a policy around noisemakers.

There is one incident McGrath remembers where the venue had to create a rule around the use of air horns, he said.

No more air horns

A man from Western Canada took an air horn attached to a battery up in the stands during the Telus Cup hockey tournament.

"When I first heard it I was on the other side of the arena and it almost knocked me over," McGrath said.

He approached the man with security and ushers and made a new rule.

"He was good about it. We instituted that after that incident there, that no air horns because they are quite loud for people next to you," he said.

We've been working hard over the years and with our junior team to try and create more noise in the venue and get fans on P.E.I. up and out of their seats and cheering our team on.— J.P. DesRosiers

J.P. DesRosiers, community services director with the City of Summerside, which owns Credit Union Place, said the venue hasn't had to enforce too many rules when it comes to noise level, he said.

"Most of our patrons have been quite respectful of one another."

However, he has also dealt with out of town spectators who have brought loud air horns to the arena.

"Most of them tend to congregate together, and they are respectful and they listen to our ushers. And we really haven't had to create or generate any new rules around noise, and we haven't had a whole lot of customer concerns around the topic."

Sometimes creating noise is an issue

Even though venues are rented to teams and performers, DesRosiers said it is ultimately the responsibility of the venue to enforce rules around noise or anything else.

"Whether it is a promoter or whether it's a team they are going to have their own league rules, or individual promoter rules they'd like us to adhere to whether it's cameras or the like," he said.

When either venue has loud events like monster trucks, staff hand out ear protection to patrons, move people to more comfortable seats and work with staff to keep training up to date.

Sometimes the problem is creating noise, not bringing the level down, DesRosiers said.

"We've been working hard over the years and with our junior team to try and create more noise in the venue and get fans on P.E.I. up and out of their seats and cheering our team on and really haven't had to enforce a lot of rules in terms of quieting them down."

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