[jchamoun79]

*Sigh* Even before I read this article, I just knew it was referring to Diane Holmes. Who else but Holmes and the joyless, small-minded NIMBYs she represents would try to ruin everything for everyone?

-----------------

Bluesfest at risk of being turned down, councillor warns
Holmes tells residents how to complain, plans to gather data about noise every night

Chris Cobb
The Ottawa Citizen
Saturday, July 05, 2008
http://www.canada.com/ottawacitizen/news/story.html?id=05689fef-8dac-4116-9454-451444df0226

Bluesfest could be forced to turn its volume down.

City Councillor Diane Holmes says that "noise" from the internationally renowned event could result in the festival's special noise exemption being revoked by council. She has also written to residents explaining how they can use official channels to complain about Bluesfest and will be gathering neighbourhood noise data every night of the festival.

Along with other special events such as the Air Show and Tulip Festival, Bluesfest has a city exemption that allows noise at the source of any potential complaint to reach 65 decibels. The regular noise limit is 55 decibels.

Ms. Holmes, councillor for Somerset, personally approves the Bluesfest exemption each year because the festival is in her ward.

"The noise is unacceptable to quite a few people," she said yesterday. "I've talked to other people who don't necessarily phone in, but what they're all saying is that it's not music that comes to them, it's the music of several bands merged as noise. Their windows are shaking. These residents are saying that the limit is too high and that the noise bylaw provides for too much noise."

About 25,000 people attended the first night of Bluesfest on Thursday and city hall received 26 complaints. Most were in the immediate vicinity of the Canadian War Museum festival site, but two came from the Glebe area. Bylaw officers dispatched to homes to measure noise levels found only two cases in which the 65 decibel limit was exceeded -- one 65.3, the other 65.9. Other measurements were significantly below the allowed limit.

Ms. Holmes agreed that the two cases where the limit was exceeded were minor, but that suggests the limit that might be too high, she said.

"I've received many complaints over many years about the blues festival wherever they have been located," she said. "They are the only festival I get any complaints about. It is a noisier festival. I never get complaints about the jazz festival."

Bluesfest artistic director Mark Monahan says the issue is whether the festival is following the rules.

"Why is there a noise bylaw exemption?" he said. "It's to allow special events to exist in a reasonable way with the community. I'm not sure why we should be singled out, and as far as I'm concerned, as long as we abide by the guidelines we are operating in a responsible fashion. The issue is not whether we get the exemption, but whether we are adhering to rules."

It is a "very sensitive subject," he added.

"I understand that when special events like this happen they have to co-exist with people who live in the community year round," he said. "But a better approach to this is to look at how other major festivals operate. The Bluesfest has become an international attraction and it's not really fair to compare it to a neighbourhood street party. How do the Montreal Jazz Festival, the New Orleans or Austin City Limits festivals operate? That's the model, but Councillor Holmes doesn't see it that way."

Any forced decibel reduction is bound to affect the festival, he said.

"We're operating on the basis of what the festival-goer wants to hear," he said. "Our aim is to please the customer. It's the motivation of any special event. But we tell the bands there is a noise bylaw and that they should be with in the agreed sound level."

Mr. Monahan said he has already received many e-mails praising Bluesfest.

"I even got a message from a guy who was sitting on his balcony two miles away saying how much he was enjoying listening to the music," he said.

Ms. Holmes, who insists she has nothing personal against Bluesfest, said she might also suggest that council hire a expert to advise the city on how best to deal with the noise.

"Maybe it would be worth the city hiring a noise specialist," she said, "to see whether directional changes of speakers -- pointing the speakers down to try and control the sound that travels up."

Ms. Holmes will be visit neighbourhoods in her ward tonight with bylaw inspectors to hear for herself.

Mr. Monahan said he prefers to use the word "music" to "noise" and added that it's important to keep the impact of Bluesfest in perspective.

"We have to look at what this festival means to the city," he said.
© The Ottawa Citizen 2008

[Jamaican-Phoenix]

I'm hopefully going to see Primus and Snoop at Bluesfest, providing I can get myself a day pass... :P

[c_speed3108]

Why can't the headline say something like:

Councillor Holmes at risk of being turned down.

:cheers:

[clynnog]

Ms. Holmes will be visit neighbourhoods in her ward tonight with bylaw inspectors to hear for herself.


Wow, Diane Holmes sure knows how to have a good time on a Saturday night in downtown Ottawa....visiting neighbourhoods with by-law officers.

[Rathgrith]

About 25,000 people attended the first night of Bluesfest on Thursday and city hall received 26 complaints. Most were in the immediate vicinity of the Canadian War Museum festival site, but two came from the Glebe area. Bylaw officers dispatched to homes to measure noise levels found only two cases in which the 65 decibel limit was exceeded -- one 65.3, the other 65.9. Other measurements were significantly below the allowed limit.


All the way to the Glebe!? :whatthefuck: I'm sure the Queensway would mask the sound from Bluesfest making its way over.

[aesthetic]

Joyless. One of many adjectives to describe Diana Holmes ...

[movebyleap]

Just out of curiosity - at what time do most Bluesfest concerts end? I guess I could understand if the noise went on until 3 am but something tells me that's not the case!!

[aesthetic]

From what I've seen of the schedule the last acts begin at either 9pm or 9:30pm, so it shouldn't run later than midnight.

[Kitchissippi]

During WestFest, the limit of the noise exemption was until 11 pm. I imagine it is similar for BluesFest. I heard all the WestFest concerts loud and clear from my house. I doubt there were any complaints from residents. We're a tolerant bunch you know, except when it comes to a couple of extra storeys on some buildings :D

[vid]

Last year a woman wrote in to the newspaper about our Blues Festival keeping her away during the day, because she is a nurse and had to work at night, and she suggested that they move it to a far away place in the country.

Two days later, a rebuttal from someone living in the same area wrote in saying she should be moved to a far away place in the country. :notacrook:

If you live downtown, you have to except noises when cultural events go on.

[Mille Sabords]

Last night after dinner we walked over to the Astrolabe with the kids and you could hear a little bit of Bluesfest as a distant sound, you definitely couldn't tell the songs, and this is over open clear water. It was 10 pm. As soon as we came back to the Spider Park as my daughter calls it, you couldn't hear a thing anymore.

So, I'm wondering if these two Glebites weren't in the top floor of some condo by the canal and actually trying really hard to be disturbed by something, anything, that would bring Diane Holmes to their door on a Saturday night...

[clynnog]

bring Diane Holmes to their door on a Saturday night...

Now there is a scary thought.

Do they have similar problems in Montreal during their blues/jazz/reggae festival...or are the residential areas far enough away.

IMO, if Ottawa were to have an open air Supertramp festival, then there wouldn't be any complaints....man o man what is it about Supertramp that Ottawa goes so crazy about.

[jitterbug]

Diane Holmes can "investigate" all she wants, it won't change anything at Bluesfest. While common sense is not very common at city hall, this is one time when 26 whiners plus one Diane Holmes won't ruin the party for the estimated 300,000 people expected to attend the festival.

The two complaints from the Glebe must've been from the same killjoys who've been complaining about noise from the Ex every year.

[c_speed3108]

The simple solution to these complaints is to inform those complaining that the noise issue will addressed within 14 days.....


:haha: :yes: :tup: :notacrook: :cheers:

[Acajack]

Now there is a scary thought.

Do they have similar problems in Montreal during their blues/jazz/reggae festival...or are the residential areas far enough away.



Tens of thousands (if not hundreds of thousands of people) live right downtown in Montreal where all of the action is, and there are complaints there as well (given that there seems to be an outdoor festival of some kind pretty much every weekend there during the summer).

But I don't think anyone there would give serious thought to killing the goose that laid the golden egg.

Bluesfest is wonderful for Ottawa but the noise and disruption that takes place in downtown Ottawa during a typical summer (Bluesfest, Canada Day plus a few other things) pales in comparison to downtown Montreal and all of the crowds, people, etc. that you see there during the warm weather.

In Montreal, complainers are usually quickly given the brush-off: "You're living in the heart of the city, man! If you want peace and quiet all of the time, move the 'burbs or the country and leave downtown to the true citadins!"

[Jamaican-Phoenix]

I went to Bluesfest yesterday, and it kicked ass.

Me and a large group of friends saw Infected Mushroom, Snoop Dogg, Primus, and The Wailers. :D

These NIMBY's/complainants are nothing more than killjoys who can't accept that Ottawa isn't a small town anymore.

[harls]

The location isn't exactly in someone's backyard.. it's an open field for chrissakes.

Won't someone think of the poor groundhogs and Canada geese that are displaced from their eating/shitting grounds? :dunno:

[m0nkyman]

Stuff like this is where Ottawa got the reputation as the town that fun forgot. It's a city. There is going to be noise. Get over it.

[Ottawade]

Hopefully she can get the NCC to turn down the Canada Day fireworks. Those things just ruined my Tuesday evening...

[clynnog]

Joyless. One of many adjectives to describe Diana Holmes ...

She strikes me as the type of person who feels that government (of any level) must be involved in everybody's lives 24/7. Her intrusive interfering permeates many things going on at 110 Laurier.

[jchamoun79]

Here's the letter to the editor I sent to the Citizen on Saturday. They called today and said they were considering it for publication. Hopefully it makes it into tomorrow's paper.

"Why does it always seem like Councillor Holmes and the joyless, small-minded NIMBYs she represents are actively trying to ruin everything? I have some news for these perpetually-unhappy residents: Ottawa is (thankfully) no longer the small, sleepy town it once was, and events like Bluesfest are one of the reasons that this is the case. It is not reasonable to live in urban area (much less the downtown core) and expect peace and quiet every day of the year. If that is what you want, please move to the suburbs and leave the city to those of us who enjoy a more vibrant atmosphere".


On a side note, I really do think it's time for the more reasonable residents of this city to organize ourselves and oppose these perpetual complainers. People need to hear that there's more to quality of life than just parks and bike paths, that archaic height limits and opposition to development are hurting the city.

[adam-machiavelli]

This story is just another example of the media making a big fuss over a few curmudgeons who complain about everything. I'm sure 98% of people living around LeBreton have no problem with the festival. So let's move on and talk about more pressing issues.

[Mille Sabords]

Here's the letter to the editor I sent to the Citizen on Saturday. They called today and said they were considering it for publication. Hopefully it makes it into tomorrow's paper.

"Why does it always seem like Councillor Holmes and the joyless, small-minded NIMBYs she represents are actively trying to ruin everything? I have some news for these perpetually-unhappy residents: Ottawa is (thankfully) no longer the small, sleepy town it once was, and events like Bluesfest are one of the reasons that this is the case. It is not reasonable to live in urban area (much less the downtown core) and expect peace and quiet every day of the year. If that is what you want, please move to the suburbs and leave the city to those of us who enjoy a more vibrant atmosphere".

On a side note, I really do think it's time for the more reasonable residents of this city to organize ourselves and oppose these perpetual complainers. People need to hear that there's more to quality of life than just parks and bike paths, that archaic height limits and opposition to development are hurting the city.

They published it this morning along with a couple other letters saying essentially the same thing. Thank you for writing it. I agree with you, naysayers have to be confronted each and every time without backing down. It may be tedious but it must be done otherwise they appear to have the last word and that's how things are left in the end. Negative people who insist on belittling our city must be squarely and relentlessly confronted to a win or at least a tie; losing to them is not an option.

[HomeInMyShoes]

...
Along with other special events such as the Air Show and Tulip Festival, Bluesfest has a city exemption that allows noise at the source of any potential complaint to reach 65 decibels. The regular noise limit is 55 decibels.



Those are some loud flowers. :)

[Radster]

I went to Bluesfest yesterday, and it kicked ass.

Me and a large group of friends saw Infected Mushroom, Snoop Dogg, Primus, and The Wailers. :D

These NIMBY's/complainants are nothing more than killjoys who can't accept that Ottawa isn't a small town anymore.


I was there too with a bunch of friends, for those exact same acts. Maybe I am going deaf with age, but I remember festivals being a lot louder back in the 90s (Edgefests for example). Infected was great, but should have played at 9pm, whereas the Wailers should have been on during the 5pm sun. Other than that, I haven`t had so much fun at an Ottawa show in a while. Bluesfest organizers deserve a huge pat on the back, every year this festival becomes better and better...

I agree with all the comments in this thread. When I read that article a few days ago, I had the exact same thoughts on the complainers. Glad to see the Citizen actually publish rebuttals to that petty article. I hope Diane Holmes reads them! These killjoys should just suck it up, or get some ear plugs.

[Cre47]

The good



Turn it up!
The Ottawa Citizen
Published: Wednesday, July 09, 2008

Re: Bluesfest at Risk of being turned down, councillor warns, July 5.

I am pained by yet another "it's too noisy" complaint by some Ottawa residents who chose to live downtown. The fact that Councillor Diane Holmes would even suggest the city needs to hire an expert to advise on how to deal with the noise is laughable.

Save the taxpayers' money, Ms. Holmes. I will give you the answer for free: If you don't like noise, move to the country.

Come on people, you chose to live downtown so you can experience the culture, festivals and events that take place in the core.

I live in the Market and guess what? It's noisy and that's why I chose to live here.

I do have a request, though, for Bluesfest artistic director Mark Monahan: Please turn it up, I can't hear the music from York Street!


We would also like to hear it deeper into Gatineau as well

now onto the bad

I'm boycotting festivals
The Ottawa Citizen
Published: Wednesday, July 09, 2008

Re: Sound bleed steals the show at smaller stages, July 5.

Last Thursday evening, in response to my 311 call, a city bylaw enforcement officer measured the sound from the Bluesfest concert from inside my home, through a window screen. It was 55 decibels.

I live more than a kilometre from LeBreton Flats, and the sound from the stage was partially filtered and blocked by several high-rise buildings and numerous trees as well as by the distance.
The officer told me that he had numerous other complaints to respond to, many from much closer to the stage than we are. He told me it was quite likely at least one of those readings would be found in violation of the far too generous noise by-law exemption that I understand council has granted the festival.

(Unbelievably, a 55-decibel noise is considered acceptable within the by-law, or so I was told.)

If I understand Mr. Cobb's article correctly, the amplification was boosted on the main stage so audience members could hear the Tragically Hip better, with the resulting noise pollution that bothered hundreds of city residents.

Such behaviour is profoundly anti-social. For city politicians to permit such sound levels is unacceptable. Why should I or any resident be bombarded in the peace and quiet of my own home by intrusive noise pollution from a property-tax-subsidized festival stage more than a kilometre away, night after night?

It must have been horrible for the people residing in the housing developments immediately south of Scott Street, across from LeBreton Flats, many of whom no doubt were living there years before the festival stage was built.

If this continues, I guarantee the city will have to spend more for bylaw enforcement officers to respond to noise complaints.

I also guarantee this will be an issue at the next all-candidates' meeting in my ward, and that candidates' answers to my question on this issue will be the prime determinant of who gets my vote in that election.

I also guarantee that, for as long as any festivals are permitted to pollute my home with noise, I will boycott all festivals (and all their corporate sponsors) in this city and will urge everyone I know to do likewise.



Move Bluesfest
The Ottawa Citizen
Published: Wednesday, July 09, 2008

Re: The noise gives us the blues, July 5.

Like letter-writer John Smart, I also have the blues, practically under my balcony. I suffered from this last summer, having to keep my doors and windows closed on nice summer evenings and this year is going the same way.

The "music" starts as early as noon and goes on until at least 11 p.m., 10 to 11 hours a day for 11 days. Over 100 hours of exposure to a high decibel level. And our own City of Ottawa gives a variance to encourage such abuse.

Please, move the Bluesfest away from city neighbourhoods. And thank you, Councillor Diane Holmes, for taking your constituents' distress to heart.


So they want Ottawa's downtown to be even more boring.

And maybe not directly related to the issue but this one may not pleased Snoop-fans

Re: "Snoop hits pot of gold" (July 7). So, what did y'all pay to see dat. Half a million dollas? Sheez, I'll rent a stage, get me some sound get-up, get my 50-plus-year-old aunties to churn, smoke some big fatties (MADD, I can't hear you), tell the girlies to show me some intelligence (they deserve respect), and swear up and down like a drunken sailor so you can add some more blanks (page fillers) and leave you all with a sense of "what da f--k wuz dat?

Tell you what. I'll do it for half the price. I'll take half the money and contribute it to a drug treatment program and the other half to try to lobby the government for more money for treatment programs, since they continue to see the seriousness of this issue with acts like this.

Sure isn't the '70s anymore -- music with class and substance and intellect. And yes, I have been to a Peter Tosh concert. A concert with respect.

[Radster]

Unebelievable comments! I am just speechless. Do these people forget that there used to be other concerts and festivals on Lebreton Flats before the museum was built? Oh, maybe they just don't know because they were not living there at the time. Maybe next time they are planning on relocating their residence, they should check whether it is a suburb or city centre! I guess these people have never been to Montreal's festivals.

The Bluesfest better not move from that location to the outskirts of the city, doing so would be environmentally irresponsible. The present location is a godsend for Ottawa!

[waterloowarrior]

Making my case for the fest-loud and clear
Lynn SaxbergThe Ottawa Citizen
Sunday, July 13, 2008

http://a123.g.akamai.net/f/123/12465/1d/media.canada.com/idl/otct/20080713/34343-11216.jpg?size=l

he first thing I did when I met city councillor Diane Holmes at Bluesfest the other night was present her with a pair of earplugs. It had nothing to do with her Bluesfest noise-tolerance level. With Great Big Sea on the main stage, I knew it was going to be a loud night.

As the councillor for Somerset Ward, which includes the neighbourhoods adjacent to the LeBreton Flats festival site, Holmes has emerged as Bluesfest's worst enemy, a woman who has the power to shut down one of the world's most ambitious and diverse music festivals.

Festival organizers fear that if Bluesfest fails to receive a noise-bylaw exemption from Ottawa city council, they won't be able to operate. The exemption allows decibel levels of 65, which is 10 over the regular limit, measured at the point of complaint (i.e., in the complainant's living room).

So when music fans reported seeing bylaw-enforcement officers with decibel meters at each stage, the feeling was that Holmes was gathering evidence to sink the fest. I wondered if she had ever been to a concert at Bluesfest.

Had she actually witnessed the spectacle of people of all ages participating in a collective cultural experience on a warm summer night?

I decided to invite her to a concert that would show Bluesfest at its best. My first choice was Michael Franti and his band, Spearhead, because every politician should take in Franti's power-to-the-peaceful message, and see how the San Francisco-based activist empowers people with music.

Unfortunately, Holmes wasn't available to see Franti's soul-stirring concert on Wednesday, so we made a date for Friday. We arranged to meet at 9 p.m. at the box office.

Holmes showed up to the site early, got caught up in the wave of last-minute Great Big Sea fans, and waited in line for half an hour to buy a ticket, which she then exchanged for a wristband.

In a white cotton jacket, white sneakers, toting an aluminum lawnchair, she was upbeat and ready to go by the time she found me at our meeting spot.

My plan was to take her to see the headliner on each of the outdoor stages, and she was well prepared to spend a couple of hours roaming around. She said she does attend the jazz and chamber music festivals, and tries to visit Bluesfest every year.

"I'm a fan of festivals," she insisted. "I'm a fan of entertainment in the city, and why cities like Ottawa need tourism, need festivals bringing lots of people in. All my job is, is to make sure festivals don't drive my residents crazy."

She said bylaw officers were sent out this year to measure the sound levels and gather information, "so we know exactly where the problems are."

Preliminary findings have shown that the complaint line starts ringing when the decibel level hits 99 at the sound board.

We started our Bluesfest adventure at the Bank of America mainstage, where Great Big Sea was due to begin. Fans of all ages jammed up against the barricades as we made our way down the aisle into the sound tent. No one cursed at her or threw anything.

Amid a sudden burst of lights, Great Big Sea blasted onto the stage. A record crowd of more than 30,000 roared. Big orange earplugs protruding from her ears, Holmes folded her arms and observed, no doubt wondering how many noise complaints would be registered.

In fact, noise complaints are down this year. After 26 residents complained about the volume on Bluesfest's opening night, the number is down to about half a dozen a day. Holmes' office had a few complaints from Aylmer residents after Thursday's Black Crowes concert, but, she joked, "That's not my problem."

"It's much better than last year," she said as we walked into the quiet, cool lobby of the Canadian War Museum, adding that she was surprised to see so many people wanting to be close to the stage. "I'm much happier this year."

On the Black Sheep Stage, Kinks founder Ray Davies was performing something intimate and acoustic. We ran into Ottawa singer-songwriter Lindsay Ferguson, barefoot, who described how fantastic it was to perform in a room with the sound quality of the Barney Danson Theatre, where she performed a knockout set earlier in the evening.

The sizzling rhythms and dazzling brass of the Budos Band on the Roots Stage lured the three of us over the hill. We paused on the hilltop and listened to the mashup between Davies' dry voice and the funky Budos Band before ditching the lawnchair and claiming a table in the gold-circle area to watch the New York City collective. The councillor bought a round: a glass of white wine for herself, and a beer for me.

The 11-piece Budos Band was terrific, but not too loud to drown out a discussion on the definition of funkalicious. A big fan of the Beatles, Holmes also listens to jazz and a bit of opera. Though she didn't dance, she enjoyed the band and we agreed they were the most funkalicious act of the night.

We moved on to Metric on the River Stage and watched a couple of songs from the back of the crowd, then crossed the road to the merch tent.

On display were posters from past editions of Bluesfest, prompting Holmes to comment on the long and colourful history of the festival. Bending to some sales pressure from Compact Music co-owner Ian Boyd, she bought the Budos Band's latest CD.

Now about 20 minutes behind her scheduled 10:30 p.m. departure, Holmes declined my offer to take her to the after-party at the Rainbow Bistro.

Instead, we backtracked to retrieve the unused lawnchair and passed by the Black Sheep Stage again, just at the climax of Davies' show.

The veteran Briton and his band were cranking out the big Kinks' hit, You Really Got Me. The crowd was dancing and singing along. For the umpteenth time that night, Holmes saw people having fun. "I'm impressed at how everybody has a great time when they go," she said.

As Holmes pursues her quest to balance the needs of residents with the reality of a world-class music festival, let's hope she keeps that image in mind.


© The Ottawa Citizen 2008

[Dado]

Funny how it never occurred to the audience on this forum that those complaining about the noise might actually have a point? No, no, those complaining absolutely MUST be small town-minded NIMBYs and killjoys who don't want Ottawa to become a real city...

But then in Saturday's Citizen there's a letter from someone with a background in physics pointing out that the bass sounds actually get worse further away and that those in charge of the sound system are unlikely to be aware of it. Uh-oh. There goes the tactic of putting down those complaining as small town-minded. It seems physics is on their side.


Now let's actually keep an open mind about things instead of bashing people at the slightest sign of complaint. Someone here mentionned that LeBreton Flats used to have concerts all the time before the War Museum was created. This is true. But it's also true that LeBreton Flats was ringed with earthen berms at the time - a point either forgotten or ignored. The letter writer gives us a couple of suggestions - change the tuning a bit and reorient the stage. If the stage was put in the southwest corner of the site, with the sound directed to the northeast towards the museum and the falls, it wouldn't be heading towards any residential areas. The berming and the museum itself would absorb and deflect sound, and the falls would muffle anything else. Putting a stage in the southwest corner also allows the rooftop observation deck of the museum to be used to augment the effective size of the stands.

But, hey, that would require an open mind and listening to people's concerns and finding out if there is some merit to them and generally having respect for your fellow citizen. Or you could just bash them and tell people who have lived in the urban parts of the city all their lives before it became fashionable to do so to move into the country. It's the reaction to the complaints that is far more telling about the kind of city we are and are becoming than the complaints themselves...

[waterloowarrior]

It's for 11 days
The Ottawa Citizen
Saturday, July 12, 2008

Re: Turn it up! July 9.
I think it is absurd and selfish for Bluesfest enthusiasts to suggest that people in the downtown core who do not wish to hear thumping bass through their bedroom window should move away. What an unbelievable suggestion!
Many people who live in the areas surrounding Bluesfest have been there longer than the festival has, and since Bluesfest is near many residential neighbourhoods, the level of noise coming from the concert is unacceptable. If Bluesfest only lasted one day, few would be complaining. It is the 11-day barrage on the senses that residents object to. If a resident one kilometre away was receiving 55 decibels of sound, which is enough to hear the full concert, does Bluesfest really have to crank it up to the volume of a jet-engine?
I suggest in future years, Bluesfest should have stages spread out further across the city, so one neighbourhood does not have to suffer all the results.
Jessie Hallett,
Ottawa

© The Ottawa Citizen 2008


for reference, 55 decibels is louder than whispering and quieter than normal speech at 3-5 ft (60-70 decibels)

[jchamoun79]

Funny how it never occurred to the audience on this forum that those complaining about the noise might actually have a point? No, no, those complaining absolutely MUST be small town-minded NIMBYs and killjoys who don't want Ottawa to become a real city...

But then in Saturday's Citizen there's a letter from someone with a background in physics pointing out that the bass sounds actually get worse further away and that those in charge of the sound system are unlikely to be aware of it. Uh-oh. There goes the tactic of putting down those complaining as small town-minded. It seems physics is on their side.

I don't think anyone is doubting that some "noise" is reaching these residents. That may very well be true. I just don't think that their concerns should be allowed to put the future of the festival (and the city) at risk. They should just put up with the noise for the 11-day run of the festival, and Diane Holmes should stop interfering with the functioning of successful events. The fact that she was "surprised to see so many people wanting to be close to the stage" shows just how out-of-touch she really is.

And these residents most certainly are "small town-minded NIMBYs and killjoys who don't want Ottawa to become a real city" when they suggest moving the festival "away from city neighbourhoods" so that it doesn't interrupt their peace and quiet (see the letters quoted in post #26).

[m0nkyman]

"I'm a fan of festivals," she insisted. "I'm a fan of entertainment in the city, and why cities like Ottawa need tourism, need festivals bringing lots of people in. All my job is, is to make sure festivals don't drive my residents crazy."

It's not about tourism. It's about having a festival for the enjoyment of the residents of Ottawa. Bluesfest might bring in some tourists, but the vast majority of the people attending the festival are residents of Ottawa... and voters in Ottawa...

[waterloowarrior]

another letter
Hey mates, resolve Bluesfest conflict
The Ottawa Citizen
Saturday, July 12, 2008

This is my first Ottawa Blues Festival experience and I must congratulate the organizers on such a wonderful event! The music, food and facilities are top notch and the sound is great.

Back home in Noosa, Queensland, I have been to many festivals around Australia; unfortunately for local residents, there are always problems with noise and huge crowds at outdoor music festivals. Communities deal with these in various ways. The major Blues and Roots Festival held in Byron Bay (New South Wales, Australia) over Easter attracts even more people than Ottawa, and brings in many tourist dollars to this small beachside town. To offset the inconvenience to the locals, the council and festival organizers offer residents free tickets to the festival.

In another community, acoustic outdoor music concerts are no longer permitted due to noise complaints, to the detriment of musicians, music lovers, the advancement of the arts industry and employment opportunities generated both directly and indirectly. Is this what Ottawa citizens want?

The Ottawa Blues Festival gives local musicians an opportunity to gain more exposure to larger audiences, and gives audiences a chance to see big-name bands at very reasonable prices. It is a great venue for families, where young and old can appreciate the music of several generations. It offers 4,200 volunteers a chance to see great music at no cost.

Compromise is the only answer to allow the Bluesfest to grow. It would be a shame for Ottawa to lose such a wonderful event.

Holly Pittman,
Noosa, Australia

© The Ottawa Citizen 2008

[Cre47]

Is it possible that the sound might have gone has far north as Highway 5 north of St-Joseph. I've heard some bit of music last night, but although there was also something earlier in the day looks like at or beside the Philemon Wright High School site or the park.

[Cre47]

Maybe if the NIMBYs want to live in a boring place they should move to Bore-haven, where there is nothing (outside the theather) in terms of entertainment.

[StephL]

In Ottawa it seems like it is forbidden to have some fun.

[Jamaican-Phoenix]

:previous: Well, there is the saying that "Ottawa is the city that fun forgot".

But it's not so much that it's forbidden to ahve fun, but that we're in that terrible stage where we're trying to grow into a big city, but there is a strong minority of people who want Ottawa to remain a small town forever and never change.

[Dado]

What? No noise complaints from the Orchestra in the Park concerts on the weekend? Hmmm. I guess orchestras must be a small town thing...

:rolleyes:

Face the facts guys: the Bluesfest sound people got their tuning screwed up and pointed the speakers in the wrong direction. Let's fix those and see if there's still a problem next year.

[Jamaican-Phoenix]

What? No noise complaints from the Orchestra in the Park concerts on the weekend? Hmmm. I guess orchestras must be a small town thing...

:rolleyes:

Face the facts guys: the Bluesfest sound people got their tuning screwed up and pointed the speakers in the wrong direction. Let's fix those and see if there's still a problem next year.

If anything, it boils down to preference in music. :haha:

[waterloowarrior]

Bluesfest caps the volume
http://www.ottawacitizen.com/Bluesfest+caps+volume/1527680/story.html
New threshold might appease fest’s neighbours, but can KISS really play that quietly?

BY LYNN SAXBERG, THE OTTAWA CITIZENAPRIL 24, 2009


OTTAWA - Forget about lawnchairs. Volume could be the biggest point of contention at Bluesfest this year, potentially polarizing those who like it loud — Kiss fans, for example — and nearby residents.

A full slate of big-name artists, including Kiss, one of the loudest bands in the world, are headed to Cisco Ottawa Bluesfest between July 8 and 19, but the commotion of the last two years of the festival, held on the spacious grounds of the Canadian War Museum at LeBreton Flats, is still fresh in the minds of nearby residents.

Retired public servant Michel Gauvin used to live on nearby Albert Street.

“Although I was a kilometre away I could hear the noise in my kitchen,” Gauvin said this week. “I never filed a complaint, but I thought they were going overboard. It’s excessive. You don’t need that much noise to listen to music.”

Now he’s even closer to the festival, one of more than 100 owners living in the new condo building overlooking the festival site. Because Gauvin’s unit is on the far side of the building, he’s hoping it will be bearable.

In fact, thanks to a new stipulation in the site-rental agreement with the National Capital Commission, he should be able to hear himself think this summer. The NCC, which manages the LeBreton Flats site, has made it a requirement for Bluesfest to implement a decibel limit in their contracts with artists. The new clause requires artists to adhere to a limit of 90 dB.

Alain Nantel, the NCC official who negotiates site rentals, said the number was determined after analysing decibel readings taken by municipal bylaw officers during last year’s festival. After complaints from nearby residents, the city sent bylaw officers armed with decibel meters out to gather data. They were dispatched to neighbourhoods in Ottawa and Gatineau and measured levels at the festival’s five outdoor stages.

Bluesfest boss Mark Monahan said they were able to tell what the level was at the stage when the noise exceeded the allowable limit of 65 dB in nearby neighbourhoods.

“We took different days we had complaints,” Monahan said, “and were able to pinpoint fairly conclusively who was playing at that time and what was the dB level, and what was interesting was we were able to measure the dB level in the park at the same time as what it was in the neighbourhood.”

Along with other special events, Bluesfest is granted an exemption from the city’s usual noise bylaw of 55 dB, but must keep it within 65 dB outside festival grounds. According to the NCC’s Marc Corriveau, the highest level measured last year was 67.5 dB in a complainant’s home at Booth and Albert streets, while the level at the mainstage sound board was generally in the upper 90s. The festival was not fined, but city councillor Diane Holmes, who represents Somerset Ward, was reported to be reconsidering her approval of the festival’s exemption. To help her understand the attraction of Bluesfest, this Citizen reporter zipped around the various stages with Holmes one night last summer.

Holmes is delighted that a decibel limit is being written into most of the contracts.

“That may well solve the problem of so much noise in some of the neighbouring communities, depending on the direction of the noise and the wind,” she said. “I think it’s a good idea. It still allows an exciting, good quality concert with certainly sufficient volume to be heard, and yet may well decrease the spillover between the stages and into the neighbourhood.”

A cap on decibels might be just what the festival needs to curb the soundbleed between stages. Last year, several quieter acts, including Richard Thompson and Joan Armatrading, were drowned out by louder bands on other stages. In a related effort to avoid that problem, Monahan said the programming team has been paying close attention to potential conflicts as they slot the acts.

Still, will 90 dB be enough to convey the power of a band like KISS, the hard-rock monsters known for songs such as I Love it Loud and Shout it Out Loud? Veteran sound engineer Ken Friesen doubts it.

“When I’m mixing a rock show, I usually come in just about 100, with peaks at about 105. That’s like a full-on, hitting-you impact level,” said the Almonte-based producer.

“At 90, the crowd would be yelling things like, ‘Turn it on.’ A show like KISS is about the rock onslaught and the overload of everything — pyro, lights, sound. At 90 dB, you’re not going to overwhelm anybody.”

Beyond audience expectations, many rock musicians like to play loud, especially when they’re on a big outdoor stage.

“It’s fun as a musician to play loud, just the feeling of something physically going through your body,” notes Peter MacKenzie Hammond of the Ottawa-area band Loudlove, which will make its Bluesfest debut on July 16. “And there’s lots of things you can do tonally with a pumped-up amp that you can’t do with a quiet amp.”

Partly because of his band’s name, the rock-reggae outfit has become accustomed to being told to turn it down. They’re not going to have a problem with the festival’s limit.

“When you’ve tried to get into Bluesfest for seven years, the last thing you want to do is go up there and say I’m bringing in three Marshall stacks and go for it,” says Hammond, laughing. He doesn’t think Gene Simmons, KISS’s maverick bassist, will be so easy to get along with.

“I think Gene Simmons does what Gene Simmons wants to do and not very many people are going to tell that man what to do.”

© Copyright (c) The Ottawa Citizen

[Jamaican-Phoenix]

I sincerely hope KISS tells the city to KISS their collective asses and plays like they usually play.

God, this city angers me so much sometimes; come to Ottawa! Where we turn down the volume for festivals because a handful of grouchy people hate noise.

[harls]

I think someone should tie Ms Holmes to a chair and put her in the front row of the KISS show.

[Rathgrith]

^I just got a very bad mental picture of Gene Simmons tonguing Diane Holmes after I read that.

[jchamoun79]

But at least we can now compare ourselves to other exciting, cosmopolitan capital cities, like Fredericton:

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/new-brunswick/story/2009/04/24/nb-fredericton-concert-1202.html

This city is an embarrassment.