No More Noise Toronto
Guest Post Written By Ingrid Buday
While many automatically assume that Etobicoke and its leafy trees and green grass is quiet, we all know that isn’t true! Leaves and grass mean gas powered lawn equipment and nice straight arterial roads are great racetracks to generate the cracks, pops and growls that are coming out of more vehicles these days. The sounds of construction are building the transit oriented communities which will bring the Night Economy to enrich and liven up the sleepy burbs.
While some don’t seem as annoyed by loud sirens or a farting Harley, what we all have in common is that noise impacts our health. Dr. Tor Oiamo from Toronto Metropolitan University, who is an expert on the health impacts of noise, made some very clear statements in his deputation to the Economic and Community Development Committee in a recent meeting. Based on 2016 data he estimates that there are 230 premature deaths due to heart disease and 20,000 healthy life years lost due to noise disturbance, annually. Since that time Toronto has even gotten louder. If we are under constant stress and can’t get a good sleep, we suffer in the near and long term.
I started No More Noise Toronto almost 2 years ago because where I live hasn’t changed but the vehicles on the roads have. I thought I was the only one – I’m not. I’ve learned that there are many noise sources that bother people day – and night. Many are very frustrated trying to make reports to 311; the response times are terrible and we get push back from city staff and the process is overall broken.
The City of Toronto is reviewing its Noise Bylaws right now and while we may be more likely to shrug our shoulders and say “that’s a city, cities are loud” or I’ve gotten used to it” this is not the time to be mute.
This weekend – in fact today – is a day that you can act and have your voice heard by over 20 decision makers in Toronto. From the Mayor, your Councillor, City Staff, Toronto Public Health and the Chief of Police I have created a way for you, with just a few clicks to make your voice heard.
Join the choir by clicking here: Sounding the Alarm on Noise @ City Hall
City Council will discuss the Noise Bylaws this coming week and so we are asking you to act today and send in your email using our easy templates with key requests. You can edit the letter and the recipients if you like. Attached is also a printable flyer that you can put up on community boards or hand out to others to spread the word!
No living thing on this planet has a biological defence for harmful or unwanted sound, which is the definition of noise. We can’t close our ears, and our bodies can’t stop listening. Noise is the new second smoke, so let’s sound the alarm! Send an email today to take back your soundscape and your health.
Ingrid Buday is the founder of No More Noise Toronto. Visit her website: www.nomorenoisetoronto.com, join her Facebook Group, follow her on X and connect with her on LinkedIn.
Where to find Ingrid:
Twitter / Facebook / No More Noise Toronto! website / LinkedIn
Sign up for Ingrid’s newsletter:
Noise News http://eepurl.com/itPYLk
To learn more about Tor Oiamo:
https://www.torontomu.ca/geography/about/people/oiamo-tor/
Thanks for this very informative post. One very significant source of noise in Etobicoke Centre is Highway 427. Do you know whether or not the walls along the highway are effective in reducing the noise? Are there more effective sound-mitigation barriers that could reduce the highway noise? Thank you!