Editor, The News:
Mr. David D. Hull of the Abbotsford Chamber of Commerce seems to be the new
spokesperson for the blueberry industry. However, he is very uninformed about
propane cannon noise.
Mr. Hull would like to see Abbotsford implement a new bylaw to control the use
of propane cannons, even though Abbotsford has been on record for many years as
wanting an outright ban of these devices.
Unlike a bylaw, a ban would put an end to the noise problem once and for all.
Mr. Hull concedes that cannons are “a little bit of a nuisance” and they upset
some neighbours. He obviously doesn’t hear any cannon noise where he lives.
“A little bit of a nuisance” is quite a bit of an understatement.
MLA Randy Hawes said it best in an article he wrote last summer, “Imagine your
lifestyle suddenly interrupted with the incredibly loud bangs of propane
cannons all around your home. From 6:30 a.m. until 8 p.m., each and every day
from late May to well into September, the constant explosions persist, often
many times a minute, every minute.”
Mr. Hull would like to see Abbotsford bylaw officers police cannon use, even
though the BC Blueberry Council currently does an adequate job of policing.
The council is also subsidized by the Ministry of Agriculture to the tune of
$100,000 to resolve cannon problems.
Does Mr. Hull want Abbotsford taxpayers to start picking up the cost of bylaw
enforcement?
Mr. Hull disputed the statement by Coun. Bruce Beck that right-to-farm
legislation “trumps” any bylaw that Abbotsford council might wish to implement.
But Bruce Beck is correct. Any municipal bylaw affecting cannons has to get the
approval of the Ministry of Agriculture, the same ministry that has been
protecting the use of propane cannons for years.
Mr. Hull would like everyone to think that because an industry is large and
makes lots of money, it should be allowed to disrupt the lives of its
neighbours. Fortunately, most people don’t agree with this philosophy.
Cannon noise has been an issue in Abbotsford for more than a decade and,
despite the increased use of cannons, birds are still a major problem.
Why doesn’t the blueberry industry invest some time and money into finding
better alternatives for deterring birds? Mr. Hull states that there are crop
losses of 15 per cent due to the birds.
If birds eat 15 per cent of the $40 million crop, you would think that finding
better bird-scaring techniques would be a priority.
Fortunately, attitudes are changing, and slowly more and more people are
accepting the fact that the extreme noise from propane cannons is unacceptable
in a heavily populated area like the Fraser Valley.
The initiative to ban propane cannons is gaining momentum, and it really is the
only solution that makes any sense.
DG
Abbotsford
