Make way for the readers My neighbor is a

Make way for the readers | My neighbor is a patio… and so are you!

More than a hundred readers reacted to the text “My neighbor is a terrace” by our former colleague Paul Roux. If the vast majority complain of excessive noise, some advocate tolerance.

Posted at 11:00 am

Split

To each his own time

According to former journalist Paul Roux in his letter “My neighbor is a terrace”, “Neighborhoods, including downtown, should be pleasant living environments, without unbearable noise pollution and welcoming to people of all ages”.

The problem is that Mr. Roux forgets to include himself in his writing. First of all: music, people drinking, is that really an “unbearable noise pollution”? Unbearable for him and maybe some neighbors, but we have to admit that a majority does not seem to agree.

Who is in a position of intolerance here? The person who is not “welcome[e] for all ages” ? Mr. Roux is pleased to have helped to reduce the noise coming from this terrace, but that does not seem to be enough: he wishes for rain and feels the need to have a text on the sides of his to publish ex-employer, for, I assume, fellow excavators Dissatisfied among the townspeople.

Mr Roux seems to want the city center to develop according to his tastes and desires. However, his accommodation in an upscale part of the city suggests a certain comfort that he certainly deserves, but which he seems to deny to his neighbors, who do not deserve his status.

Ageism is indeed an unacceptable trend, but it would be good if the good people of the golden age didn’t take advantage of it, using their status to calm the zeal of future generations who just don’t want to take advantage of it the same joy that Mr. Roux has already experienced for himself, and which he seems to be trying to deny to others for his own benefit.

“Everyone has his time,” sang Pierre Lalonde, whom we had to call something like a “boom boom” musician in a different time, who resists.

Finally, I don’t want Mr. Roux to move, but to open up to the world, a world that he may no longer control, but which does not act against him; in the absence of his letter, who wants to dictate a rhythm that no longer keeps up with the tempo of his time.

Sylvain Raymond, Montrealer, communications, marketing and content consultant

Look forward to growing old

My condolences! But I have mowers, leaf blowers, private parties and so on in Saint-Jérôme. I can’t wait to grow old, to retire, to go far away. Very far. Very far.

Simon Robi

The uninhabitable inner city

Ever since politicians decided to make downtown Montreal a year-round party hole by multiplying festivals and “celebratory” facilities, these have made downtown Montreal unlivable for permanent residents: music, noise, drunk people, travel, um Enjoying manna, parties in Airbnb, etc. This is what happens when the only economic creativity sought is bread and games. It’s poor visibility and only targets a segment of the population: non-resident party-goers. In the end, the winners were tenants and event organizers who enriched themselves. The others see that their quality of life is deteriorating.

John Sebastian

Copy pasted in Saint Lambert

Many laugh on social media when they talk about Saint-Lambert and the noise of the concerts in Parc Jean-Drapeau. This is a copy-paste of the situation described in Paul Roux’s article. This weekend with Osheaga, from 11am to 11pm, non-stop, it’s amazing no matter what style of music I like. These people in the article, in their homes, are prisoners of a situation where “having fun” is done at the expense of others, and they do it by making fun of their discomfort. What values ​​are represented in coexistence? It is not a generational issue because the young people in the house who are affected by the noise feel it just as much as the old ones.

Christina Fourier

We no longer have the forests we had

My dear Paul, we have found a nice cottage on a wooded lot on a road built in the woods. All neighbors are young families (like mine) or “regulars” of the place for several years. Happiness…until my new doctor in his 30’s breaks up and decides to live out his teenage years. 80 decibels? Yes, at 4am in the middle of the week with non-stop cheering. The police ? No power against lack of courtesy. They pass when they can and give warning which, oh joy, gives 15 to 20 minutes of silence before driving off without a second thought.

Christian Bissonette

airplanes at night

If we’re going to drive densification in Montreal, we need to significantly reduce the sources of noise pollution. Fortunately, electrification of public and private transport will help a lot; In this way, the emergency vehicles could also muffle the sirens that are constantly wailing in the city center. Incidentally, the sound of the siren in Europe has long been much quieter. We must also take serious action against the owners of noisy motor vehicles whose supposed mufflers are, on the contrary, designed to make noise. Montreal also needs to convince Aéroports de Montréal (ADM) to take serious measures to significantly reduce noise generated by air traffic. Transport Canada needs to put its pants on and enforce the regulations that are already in place, which ADM consistently flouts.

Jacques Bournival

Curfew nostalgia

I also live in the city and the noise protection is really bad. There are the patios, of course, but also the mufflers of converted cars and motorcycles, the squeaking of tires, loud talking on the streets at 3am and… the city vacuuming the sidewalks. We keep our windows closed and use the AC continuously to get some quiet. Only during the curfew at the beginning of the pandemic were we “unfortunately” able to enjoy the peace and quiet. You could open the windows and sleep in peace. Tranquility is something that needs to be on the menu if our guides are to condense and halt the exodus to the suburbs.

Denis Langlos