I Agree With Ban the Cannons!

Hi,I think I've talked to you people once before,a while back. I saw the article in the Sept.15,'02 Province, then found your website. I had to put up with those*#@#**cannons for 15 years,'84-'99,in Pitt Meadows.

At the time P.M.had no noise bylaw,for the flats. It was only brought in because,in my opinion,of that of the fact a former alderman came to council and "told them off".

I watched as the blueberry farm went in across the street from our property. For the first couple years,no problem, then it started. The cannons started to fire off as early as 4;30 am. and on some days would not stop until 12 pm. As if this was not bad enough the farmer(who was leasing the land,from a nother farmer)had his kids start up two motorcycles,reving them for half an hour,then blasting around the field(27 acres). Then he would get in his Datsun and drive it around,while honking the horn and fireing off a screecher gun. While this was going on an older woman would come out with a pot and piece of wood and bang this as well. This went on day after day.

The one cannon was directly across from my nieghbors home and would piviot around and fire directly at it, across the street. One day my neighbor and Y went across and talked with the farmer and asked politely if he could move the gun farther into the field or at least not allow it to piviot in her direction. He looked at us and said"If you don't like it,move". My neighbor had been there for some 15 years.

This individual,as I understand it,was from Abbodsford. He had several other feilds in P.M.at the time as well. He said the same kind of thing to several other people in the area. One couple had been there 50 years. Then he said it to a woman,who's farther,was the one who had just come off council.

One point I want to make clear,as I did to P.M.vouncil. A noise bylaw is no good unless it has some "teeth"to it. If the bylaws officer can do nothing but sit there and write out a complaint form,what good is he? If the farmer does not "fear" the blylaw,as all he's likely to get is a notice in the mail,then why should he comply?

In '99 we had fofour berry fields around our property. Three were using cannons,the fourth some sort of "tweeter" device(this was just as bad) As I understand it,they are allowed on cannon for every five acres. There was 27 acres to the west,15 on the south,10 on the north and 10-20(tweeter)on the east. At the end the one on the north was the loudest. I was in the middle of our house,5 acres away,and it was like it was right there. If I could,I'd like to find the guy who invented these things and tie him to one. Ban the *#@** Cannons!!

T. of Maple Ridge,B.C.

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