Vancouver Considers Anti-Odour By-Law

For many Canadians, this has been one stinking hot summer.And for some residents in Vancouver STINK is the operative word. Imagine for a moment, basking in your backyard, the air wafting with the smell of rotting compost and animal parts. It's more than enough to turn your nose up. And residents want something done about it.

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Today's guest host was Piya Chattopadhyay.

Part One of The Current

Satire

It's Monday August 20th.

The Bank of Canada has removed the image of an Asian-looking woman from its $100 bill after complaints that she racialized the notes.

The Bank is now entertaining complaints from anti-monarchists, continentalists, gold standard freaks, people with ink and paper allergies and everyone who CAN'T STAND RECTANGLES.

This is The Current.

Vancouver Considers Anti-Odour By-Law - Environmental Regulation

People on the west coast sit in some of the priciest real estate in North America -- but that's not the sweet smell of success wafting over East Vancouver. A heat wave and a mechanical breakdown at a local rendering plant are the culprits. Decaying animal parts have left such a noxious scent, officials are considering a by-law to control emissions.

Ray Robb is the Manager of Environmental Regulation and Enforcement for Metro Vancouver. He joined us from his home in Vancouver.

Vancouver Considers Anti-Odour By-Law - Biophysicist Expert on Smell

Some people dislike the scent of Chanel, others enjoy the smell of napalm in the morning. But just about everyone agrees there are odours so foul, we wish there were only four senses.

Our next guest has been called the emperor of scent. Luca Turin is a biophysicist and expert on the science of smell and the co-author of Perfumes: The A-Z Guide. And this morning he was sniffing the air in Athens.

Vancouver Considers Anti-Odour By-Law - Resident of Pictou, NS

We ended this segment with one last thought on smell from Matt Gunning, a resident of Pictou, Nova Scotia.

The most common way to describe it is the smell of rotten cabbage. Locally here, we have a craft type pulp mill, most of the smell comes from the hydrogen sulphate which is part of the process. It certainly has a very strong odour and most people describe it as the smell of rotten cabbage. It's definitely there. It's a conversation that literally surrounds us. Everybody notices the smell, some people are a little bit more susceptible to it then others but local doctors have certainly said that the air emissions cause nausea, vomiting, dizziness, congestion, nasal discharge, eye irritation, migraine headaches and respiratory problems. It's certainly something that has been well documented over the years.

This segment was produced by The Current's Shannon Higgins, Pedro Sanchez and Josh Bloch.

Other segment from today's show:

Of Mothers and Merchants: Documentary Repeat