It is just after 8.40am. Construction on the LVEC has been going on for over an hour.
EllisDon does NOT have an exemption from the city to start work on the building, at this hour, or at any hour on the weekend. [Yes, the Project Manager said on TV that they would be working SATURDAY. When did Council pass an exemption from the noise by-law? No, a Project Manager can't just say "they are going to do it" without Council's approval.]
This is unacceptable. How much are people in the downtown supposed to put up with during the construction of this thing?
Twice this fall I have called the By-Law Enforcement Office at City Hall, and made a formal complaint about work on Sundays (actually, one of the Sundays was the Sunday of Labour Day weekend!!). Twice, I have been given the "we'll check it out" bit, or "we'll ask Ellis Don to inform their subcontractors" bit. I have received at least one email from Project Director Lanie Hurdle; she didn't really say anything in it. [I could put it here, just to prove the point!]
People have been rather nice about this, so far. [It reminds me of the Homecoming Party approach. Some on council say that enough is enough, and it's time to take drastic steps. Two others say that the chatting must go on.] Well, in my view, we have done all the "nice" talk that we can about the city's lack of enforcement of the noise by-law with respect to buildng the LVEC.
It is time for the city to get its by-law enforcement officers out on Sunday mornings, and charge EllisDon for contravening the noise by-law. And levy a fine that will make them notice.
I intend to email my Councillor, Rob Hutcheson, copy the other councilors and Project Manager Lanie Hurdle. She doesn't seem to have any influence over EllisDon.
Citizens in downtown Kingstoon deserve to be able to sleep past 7.30am on a Sunday.
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