In June, we told you that Kelowna was considering a bylaw to fight motorcycle noise, and we weren’t making it up; city council is set to examine the law today.
According to Castanet.net, the bylaw will set a noise limit of 92db for motorcycles at idle, and 96db for bikes at speed. The fines for breaking the law are going to be pretty hefty as well – $500 for Bylaw Offence Notices, and $1,000 for Municipal Ticket Information. We have no idea what that means, but if you’ve got a loud bike in Kelowna, we’re sure that you’ll find out soon enough.
The town’s RCMP detachment will enforce the bylaw, but they don’t have the equipment to do so yet – they’ve got to buy sound meters, and at $2,300 apiece, you can bet they’re going to have to write some tickets to pay for them. The purchases are already budgeted, but officers will still need to be trained to use the equipment as well. The bylaw wouldn’t come into effect until all of this happens.
At least in Kelowna, the city government isn’t just picking on motorcycles. City council is also planning to restrict motorboat sound levels, to 85db, and car stereos will be limited to 90db.
The noise issues stemming from bikes are being focused not just on the street bikes but in regards to off road motorsports as well. The Bob Rumball Camp of the Deaf has been charged by a private wealthy seasonal resident who lives across the lake from the camp. Mr Bruce Buchan is charging the camp under the EPA. 3 years later and still incomplete disclosure (evidence), the Camp has yet to be heard before a JP but has spent thousands of dollars just to show up at the court house and on lawyer fees.
The camp rides between 9-5 mon to thurs and for 4 weeks and then used to host MX races… now event organizers dont’ want to race there because the louder bikes won’t pass the sound protocol. Yes, even with a sound protocol and bikes meeting the Ministry of the Environment guidelines….some one like Mr Buchan can launch a private prosecution under the EPA. It’s not a good outlook for loud motor anything and we need to stand together collectively and respectfully to have our voices heard as well, there has to be a balance of bikes that will always produce some noise and tolerance. But until we stand together they will shoot us down one province, one town, one organization at a time until the by-laws are so restrictive it will be near impossible to ride anything without fear of a ticket or a full on prosecution.
check out supportparrysoundmotorsports face book page
maybe there is a way we can all approach the municipal, provincial and Federal governments with our vocie before we are legislatively silenced.