Little being done to stop loud fireworks noise 'five to seven days a week', says Windsor resident
Despite the City of Windsor prohibiting the use of fireworks on most days of the year, Walkerville resident Jordan Whelan says his family has been disturbed by the sounds of loud pops multiple times a day for the past six months.
"I have children and a wife who is hard of hearing. So it's more disturbing for us than typical people," said Whelan, adding the constant sound of fireworks makes it difficult to communicate with his wife.
City bylaws currently prohibit the use of fireworks, except on Canada Day, Victoria Day (and the 10 days before it), New Year's Eve (and the seven days before it) and the Fourth of July.
But according to Whelan, that sound of fireworks going off has become an "every night thing" since his family moved to their current apartment about six months ago.
"We deal with it all the time. Two, three, four in the morning. It doesn't matter what time it is. It happens all the time," the 27-year-old said. "Young people don't usually complain about these things."
Whelan is among a growing number of people calling for greater enforcement and restrictions on the sale of fireworks for personal use.
"It's a nuisance, not just for people, young and old — but animals. People with anxiety, high levels of anxiety. It's actually a trigger for a lot of people," he said. "We literally have to move our son to a different room to get away from the noise. This happens about five to seven days a week."
But according to Windsor police constable Bianca Jackson, enforcement of fireworks-related complaints can come with challenges. For starters, these types of calls are prioritized lower than more serious incidents.
It also doesn't help that many people who are reporting fireworks-related bylaw violations want to stay anonymous, she said.
"It is important that to give a charge, we need a complainant. We need a name of some sort," Jackson said, adding she understands some complainants want to stay anonymous to, "keep the peace" with their neighbours.
Windsor police said it could not provide an exact number of fireworks-related calls it has received in 2022, as they are grouped with approximately 900 overall noise complaints that have come through since 2020.
"If you're calling just for us to go to a residence and ask them to keep it down, respect the noise level or give a warning, then an anonymous call is fine," Jackson said.
But according to Whelan, he's walked around his apartment to narrow down an exact source of the noise and report his findings to police on four separate occasions. However, officers have showed up one time, he said.
"It seems nobody takes it seriously," he said.
“I definitely would like to see bylaw enforcement come and do something about this, either regulations or — and I don’t know if this is too far — banning the sale of them for unregulated events.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Spectacular aurora light show to be seen across Canada Friday night
A rare and severe solar storm is expected to bring spectacular displays of the northern lights, also known as aurora borealis, across much of Canada and parts of the United States on Friday night.
Which Canadian cities have the highest and lowest grocery prices?
Where you live plays a big factor in what you pay at the grocery store. And while it's no secret the same item may have a different price depending on the store, city or province, we wanted to see just how big the differences are, and why.
McGill University seeks emergency injunction to dismantle pro-Palestinian encampment
McGill University has filed a request for an injunction to have the pro-Palestinian encampment removed from its campus.
Swarm of 20,000 bees gather around woman’s car west of Toronto
A swarm of roughly 20,000 bees gathered around a woman’s car in the parking lot of Burlington Centre.
U.S. says Israel's use of U.S. arms likely violated international law, but evidence is incomplete
The Biden administration said Israel's use of U.S.-provided weapons in Gaza likely violated international humanitarian law but wartime conditions prevented U.S. officials from determining that for certain in specific airstrikes.
Barron Trump declines to serve as an RNC delegate
Former U.S. President Donald Trump's youngest son, Barron Trump, has declined to serve as a delegate at this summer’s Republican National Convention, according to a senior Trump campaign adviser and a statement from Melania Trump's office.
Mother assaulted by stranger while breastfeeding baby in her car: Vancouver police
A person was arrested in East Vancouver Thursday after allegedly entering a car while a mother was breastfeeding her four-month-old boy.
'We have laws': Premier Smith says police action justified in Calgary
The actions, including the decision to use non-lethal force, to disperse pro-Palestinian protesters from the University of Calgary campus were justified, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith said Friday.
'State or state-sponsored actor' believed to be behind B.C. government hacks
The head of British Columbia’s civil service has revealed that a “state or state-sponsored actor” is behind multiple cyber-security incidents against provincial government networks.