Editor:
When are our mayor and council going to show some gumption and tackle the long-standing, and increasing problem of noise from blueberry farm propane cannons?
While Abbotsford council is drafting bylaws to help residents disturbed by artillery fire from burgeoning blueberry farms, our mayor and council continue to hide behind the right-to-farm legislation.
But, at the same time they are ducking the issue, they seem to have no problem developing and selling property adjacent to farms and collecting the ensuing development charges and taxes from unsuspecting residents.
Please understand, it isn’t just new residents and non-farmers affected. Farms in Surrey have steadily converted from traditional crops to luxury-crop blueberries, leaving many long-term residents assaulted for months – morning to night – with cannon noise. Farms raising animals have had their livestock negatively affected.
The guidelines for cannon use are repeatedly violated by some irresponsible farmers with no fear of penalty. What’s the point of having rules if there are no penalties for violating them? Every form of pollution seems to be heavily controlled, with the exception of excessive noise from farm artillery.
Make no mistake – it is a health issue.
It’s about time Surrey’s mayor addresses this issue affecting all citizens, even if some of her supporters are the culprits.
Evelyn Magee, Surrey