Editor:
Re: Beachfront chopper tour irks residents, July 27.
Help me out here. I’m having trouble understanding how the chopper tours benefit anyone but the operator of this enterprise.
To suggest the chopper makes less noise than the train is silly. How many trains fly repeatedly over your house?
We live a far distance away from the train and can only hear it faintly, but the chopper can be heard from end to end of its tour. Very annoying.
White Rock has noise laws governing motorcycles and cars; why not choppers?
Harry Van Tol, Surrey
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I am so upset with this constant helicopter noise that I’ve been forced to listen to. That it invades our quiet, peaceful ocean-view setting is saying it mildly.
We’ve clocked it from the time it lifts up to the time it lands again at 10 minutes total, and we can hear it the whole time. And both the lifting up and landing is by far the worst and very close by.
There’s maybe a two-minute lapse for unloading and reloading, and up it goes again – all day long.
We can’t sit outside on our deck but are forced to go inside, close all the doors and windows on a hot day and still we can hear that constant irritating drone.
This needs to be stopped! Now!
We the citizens should not be exposed by what is, plain and simple, noise pollution. It is beyond disturbing and extremely annoying, creating a lot of unwanted stress.
F. Havinga, White Rock
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Everything irks White Rock residents who have conveniently forgotten – now that they have money and the “status” of being able live in White Rock – that they were younger once and did things that used to irk their elders then.
See how it comes back to bite you? NIMBYs!
I bet if they’d had the entrepreneurship, or the guts, to start and run this business, and make even more money out of it, they would not be complaining. Bad luck.
Ivan Scott, Surrey
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I live on Victoria Avenue directly above the pier. The helicopter flies over the pier at about the half-way point and, when I am sitting in my living room, it flies across at the level of my living room window. This seems much too low and much too close.
I read where TRK Helicopters owner Randy Marks says that the tremendous noise totals only 2½ hours in a day. That may be true but, unfortunately, it is spread over the full day – wait for it every five minutes going out and coming back.
Marks also says that the people of White Rock always complain. It’s our “nature,” he says.
We may complain, yes indeed, but only when we have a fair and legitimate cause, such as during that summer past when the railway had a vendetta going on and blew their whistles unnecessarily all night long.
I have written to Transport Canada and I hope that they are watching the flight paths of this aircraft very carefully, because, from where I sit, it looks very dangerous.
Gayle Greveling, White Rock
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I read with great interest the July 27 Peace Arch News article and subsequent letters to the editor about the new helicopter tours around White Rock beaches and beyond.
As someone who has lived on the Semiahmoo Peninsula for over 20 years, and worked locally in the community-service sector, I have significant first-hand observations as to the social consequences to our community and the ruined lives and shattered families as a result of the types of goods and services that are offered by the majority of businesses on the beach, and the taxing of police, ambulance and emergency-room services their patrons require, primarily in the early hours of the morning throughout the year. I applaud any family-oriented daytime creative endeavour and its economic benefit to the Semiahmoo First Nation.
For those hillside residents who “pay huge tax dollars,” I suggest they sue their real-estate agents for negligence for failing to provide them with sufficient information about all of the ramifications of living on this public beach, as it presumably prevented them from making an informed decision prior to purchase. Given that the Real Estate Council of BC is in the process of being stripped of its licensing, regulation and discipline functions, I am sure the new superintendent of real estate will be quite receptive to and supportive of the idea.
Anthony G. Intas, Surrey
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I’ll make a prediction. Any decision in this matter made by a politician will not favour the residents who are complaining of the noise.
Whether the operator chose the helipad location knowing it would give clear sailing because it is band property, or whether the band property was the only location available is immaterial.
The band will make money on this operation.
Politicians cave in favour of First Nations every time.
Don Crowe, Surrey