“Green Acres” editorial disappointing

Dear Editor, I am disappointed with the tone of your editorial about the use of propane cannons on Fraser Valley berry farms.

Whereas I fully appreciate that the berry farmer works hard to make a living, their neighbours, both rural and suburban, also work hard to make a living and have a right to reasonable peace and quiet. Imagine for a minute if I decided to sit in your driveway and fire a shotgun into the air every 15 or 20 seconds from dawn till dusk. All day, everyday, Sundays, Holidays, doesn’t matter I would blast away adnauseum. There would be no need for you to set your alarm clock as I will begin firing at about 5.15 am , then all day until dark. It will be the sound you awaken to and probably the last sound you hear at night. I would like to see your editorial comments after having endured this barrage of cannon fire all summer! Forget about sleeping in on weekends or holidays, forget about having a peaceful backyard BBQ in the evenings, forget about hearing the birds chirp or hearing the summer breeze rustle in the trees. Those pleasures are not yours to enjoy as a neighbor of a berry farmer. When I bought my acreage many years ago the berry farms where not exist, I was there first. They now have ruined our summers and have reduced our property values. Berry farmers do not have a God given right to noise pollute . Over the years the berry acreage has exploded to increasing demand. I am now surrounded by multiple farms, all of whom have multiple guns, which fire off constantly. There are little or no restrictions on the use of these guns as you mentioned.

There are other options available to the farmer, yes they will cost, but if all are regulated by law then all farms will have the same cost of this added overhead, and all will still be on the same competitive playing field.

What about the thousands of people who are inconvenienced ,annoyed and harassed by this absurd noise pollution these people also have rights. Those rights are being ignored by the regulators and the Berry farmers who could care less about ruining the lifestyle of their fellow citizens. We all understand that in a rural or semi rural environment we have to be tolerant of the various agricultural endeavors and the less than pleasant elements associated with country living. If the farm next door is spreading manure, yes it can be unpleasant for a few hours. But, it would be a different matter totally if the same farmer was spreading the manure from dawn till dusk all day for months. This then is an infringement on my rights. That same guy should not have the right to pollute my atmosphere all day everyday. Berry farms should not have the right to shatter the serenity of their neighbours.

Sincerely B. D. Port Kells BC

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