Coldstream portrays itself as rural living at its best, but increasingly, some residents aren’t impressed.
Between May 1 and Sept. 30, 2016, the municipality received seven complaints about agricultural noise.
“The noise that results from equipment used, frequency of use and an overall greater intensification of farming has led to a rise in the complaints,” said Keri-Ann Austin, director of corporate administration, in a recent report.
Now there’s no question that a tractor isn’t quiet, and particularly early in the morning. There have also been concerns about wind turbines and helicopters, which are used occasionally to blow water off of cherries so they don’t split.
Livestock can also create considerable noise.
And as an example, I remember back to my youth when my grandpa raised cattle in Westbank. Occasionally, complaints would arise from the adjacent subdivision that he was beating his cows or starving them because the residents could hear cows bawling. But instead of reaching out to my grandpa to determine the reasons for the crying, they would instead call the SPCA and toss out wild accusations. Out of duty, the SPCA would investigate, only to find the cows were spoiled rotten and the bawling was a result of the calves being separated from their mothers for weaning — a standard farm practice.
As somebody who has lived in Coldstream for almost 22 years, I hear cattle frequently from the ranch that gave birth to the community. Perhaps because of my own roots, those sounds make me reminisce and grateful for where I am.
I also live next to an orchard and shortly after moving in, a loud whooshing noise shattered my peaceful sleep at midnight. The whoosh then returned at noon the next day. Puzzled by what was going on, I wandered next door and asked about the noise, which turned out to be the irrigation system kicking in for a few minutes. With that explanation, the whoosh is now an anticipated part of life.
Tractors rumble next door, and I find it all very reassuring. How I’d react to a helicopter or a wind turbine regularly isn’t known.
But noise isn’t the only generator of complaints. There are residents bothered by odours, and particularly manure or silage — often referred to as the smell of Coldstream. Some may not like chemicals being applied to crops wafting into their yard.
Of course there are some farmers who don’t care what the neighbours think, but the majority are responsible and aware of the world around them. They don’t want to upset anyone but the nature of their business requires certain practices that generate noise and smell. It should also be pointed out that in most cases, the farmers were there before subdivisions.
Obviously there’s a mechanism to make the municipality aware of extreme noise problems, but formal complaints should be a last resort. A lot of tension could be alleviated if us urbanized residents wandered over and chatted with the farmer. Both sides could understand where the other is coming from and perhaps middle ground can be found over helicopters or tractors. Plus, it’s a great way to know your neighbour better.
At a time when people are increasingly interested in eating closer to home and the region is starved for jobs, agriculture provides significant opportunities. Learn to embrace what’s around you.