Laura Modray, the executive director of Westwinds Squamish Seniors Living in Downtown Squamish, wrote this letter to the mayor and council and shared it with Squamish Reporter. She calls upon the council for urgent action as excessive noise from neighbouring HVAC equipment disrupts the health and well-being of residents.
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Dear Mayor Hurford and Members of Council,
I hope this letter finds you well. At the request of my board, I am writing once again to support our valued tenants regarding the ongoing excessive noise issue caused by the Shannon Falls Retirement Residence’s HVAC equipment.
Our board engaged Pinchin Ltd., experts in sound evaluation, to provide objective criteria on the noise levels generated by the HVAC system and compare these to standards considered excessive in municipalities such as West Vancouver and the City of North Vancouver. Their attached report concludes that the noise levels are excessive and directly impact our tenants’ well-being. The noise of this nature affects health, particularly by disrupting sleep.
We respectfully ask you to examine the report and step in to help address this ongoing concern. Part of the issue appears to lie with the outdated bylaw, which focuses primarily on construction noise. Notably, even the SLRD noise bylaw contains stronger provisions.
While bylaw updates can take months or longer, we urgently need your assistance. This problem has persisted for over two years, and the neighbouring property has shown little interest in mitigating the noise to acceptable levels (below 55 dBA during the day and 45 dBA at night). We have exhausted all reasonable efforts short of legal action.
Downtown Squamish has become a densely populated urban center with increasing noise challenges—traffic, building equipment, and amplified sound. This adds urgency to updating the bylaw before the problem worsens as new developments are completed. The noise bylaws of West Vancouver and the City of North Vancouver offer excellent study examples.
Our tenants, many seniors who have contributed significantly to our community, suffer. They are vulnerable, and it is heartbreaking to see them endure this excessive noise without relief. We must act to protect their health and quality of life. Thank you for your attention to this critical matter. I am confident that, with your leadership, a solution can be found for Westwinds residents.
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