Ever After music festival has far fewer noise complaints
New sound system cuts decibels reaching neighbourhoods
KITCHENER — This year’s Ever After music festival drew only six noise complaints, down from the more than 130 last year. A big reason for the improvement was a new sound system used during the weekend’s three-day electronic dance music festival.
“It was able to put out the sound over the crowd and minimize any spillage into the surrounding neighbourhoods,” said Gloria MacNeil, Kitchener’s director of bylaw enforcement.
“Where we had huge issues least year, let’s say in Breslau or Lackner Woods area, it was absolutely no noise at all this week.”
A day before the festival, sound technicians joined city staff in
visiting residents in last year’s affected neighbourhoods. They did sound checks, asked residents for feedback, and then made adjustments.
City staff also conducted noise reads to ensure the volume would comply with the city orders. In January, city council approved a staff recommendation requiring the festival to lower the noise level to 55 decibels in residential neighbourhoods. In previous years it has been at 65 decibels.
City council imposed the noise requirements in response to the complaints in 2017.
Council also changed the festival’s noise bylaw exemption from 11 p.m. on Sunday to 9 p.m.
The festival did continue until 10 p.m. Sunday, which was the reason for five of the six noise complaints, said MacNeil.
“At this point we’ll be debriefing with staff who worked over the weekend, just to review their notes and see whether or not we believe there’s enough to support a charge,” said MacNeil. “But it doesn’t sound like there’s going to be (a charge).”
This year’s festival had a number of medical emergencies.
Paramedics responded to 37 calls and, of those, 32 people were taken to hospital and 22 were in “serious or critical condition,” said Nic Smith with Region of Waterloo Paramedic Services. The majority of the cases were related to substance use.
Last year, paramedics took 24 people to hospital for drug and alcohol intoxication.