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LETTERS: The squawking begins at 4:30 a.m.

Editor: There have been a few letters written recently complaining of excessive noise in the city.
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Not all seagulls here keep to Semiahmoo Bay, says letter-writer Vivian Anderson, who notes they add to the noise near her home. (Aaron Hinks photo)

Editor:

There have been a few letters written recently complaining of excessive noise in the city, including noisy trains, vehicles, amplified music, etc.

Well, I have a real problem with seagulls screeching at all hours of the day and night.

I know that this is not the seagulls’ fault; this is what they do. It is definitely the fault of ignorant people feeding them, and there are often 20 or more of them all squawking all at once.

My apartment faces the alley between Merklin and Best streets, and I am so sleep deprived from their incessant noise, which begins about 4:30 a.m. and continues well into the night.

I moved here 14 years ago and it seemed like a nice quiet area to live, but each year gets noisier and noisier, with garbage trucks in the laneway every day – sometimes twice – leaf blowers, power washers, loud cars, etc., and of course the problem of people feeding the noisy seagulls.

I have phoned city hall a couple of times over the years, asking if there is a noise bylaw stating that it is illegal to feed the seagulls, and the answer is “no”.

Doesn’t this excessive noise bother these people that are insensitive to other peoples’ sleep and wellbeing? We can’t hear the TV, and we have to shout when we are talking to each other, and it’s hard to even carry on a telephone conversation. Even earplugs and closing all the windows isn’t much help.

We actually go to the beach – where one would expect to hear seagull noise – as often as we can, just to get some peace and quiet.

So, please, if you are the one(s) feeding these seagulls, would you please stop!

Vivian Anderson, White Rock