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Local committee looks to limit noise pollution on Sylvan Lake

This is intended to offer solutions to the increasing issue of noise that is affecting the eight municipalities that surround the lake.
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Committee Chair for the Quiet Enjoyment Initiative and Former President of the Sylvan Lake Watershed Stewardship Society Kent Lyle is looking to spread education on how users of Sylvan Lake can limit noise pollution.

The Quiet Enjoyment Initiative(QEI) is looking to clean up noise pollution on Sylvan Lake.

The initiative, which was released on July 22 by a sub-committee of the Sylvan Lake Watershed Stewardship Society(SLWSS), is intended to offer solutions to the increasing issue of noise that is affecting the eight municipalities that surround the lake.

In a press release, the committee stated that “noise impacts from on-water and on-ice recreational use is a growing concern nation-wide. Any reduction of the noise levels on SylvanLake will not only benefit the majority of recreational users and visitors of Sylvan Lake, but nearby residents as well.”

Chairmen of the QEI and former President of the SLWSS, Kent Lyle, and his committee started identifying this issue many years ago.

“We think the noise problem on the lake started three decades ago,” he said. “Gradually it became a bigger problem. We looked at it and decided that it was a legitimate form of noise pollution.”

According to Lyle and the QEI’s press release the main source of noise pollution, currently on Sylvan Lake, is a lack of adequate noise abatement(mufflers) on the larger boats, which is mandated Federal Law. This is in addition to the increased use of powerful music systems to broadcast one’s music or voice across the lake at very high levels.

Lyle added that it is a matter of playing your music at a level that is respectful to others and that “a lot of people may not know how noise carries over water.”

The first step for this committee, as suggested by the municipalities around Sylvan Lake, is to provide educational opportunities for people to voluntarily limit the sound pollution on the lake. The QEI came up with four main initiatives to help educate the community:

Creating a pamphlet outlining the sources of the excessive noise with suggested solutions

Promoting signage at launch sites

Adding a component of the SLWSS website to help educate lake users

Addressing various community groups by attending public meetings

It is the intention of these initiatives to provide education in order to avoid having to legislate the limitation of noise pollution using bylaw, something other municipalities have resorted to according to Lyle.

“There will likely be a next step,” he said. “Likely something more formal then just educational programs. Other municipalities developed bylaws that were clearly bylaws around launching sites.”

He added that he doesn’t want to “prejudge where the committee will go on that” before they have a chance to see the result of the education provided.

“We think it’s reasonable what we are asking people to do,” Lyle said. “We have the right to the peaceful enjoyment of our environment but we also have the responsibility not to disrupt other people. We want visitors to Sylvan Lake to have fun and we want local people to have fun as well. It’s all about being respectful to others.”

reporter@sylvanlakenews.com

Kent Lyle is the Chairperson of the Quiet Enjoyment Initiative and former President of the Sylvan Lake Watershed Stewardship Society and will be writing a reoccurring column for theSylvan Lake News. Check back in our August 4th edition for his first column regarding noise pollution on Sylvan Lake.