General News

Mono resident hopes noise will be silenced through bylaw

July 3, 2025   ·   1 Comments

By JAMES MATTHEWS

Mono’s proposed noise bylaw will be fully enforceable after it is adopted.

Of course, right?

Bob McCrea, a resident of Mono’s south side, said during Town Council’s June 24 meeting that he’s located “in the perfect storm” of noise-creating venues. His residence is south of the Orangeville Agricultural Society (OAS) Event Centre and east of the Credit Valley Conservation (CVC) Island Lake Area.

“OAS and CVC have definitely lost their way and are not doing what their official mission statements say,” McCrea noted.

As an example, he said the OAS Events Centre regularly books noise-making events, such as the one booked for July 18, 2026, hosted by Veterans and Everyday Heroes.

“Cleary, the OAS or the Events Centre are thumbing their nose at Mono residents,” McCrea said. “I know you all agree that you need to give affected residents the support that we deserve.”

He asked when Council would officially adopt the new noise bylaw that he referred to as the “Noise is Noise Bylaw.”

“Since bylaws are all complaint-driven, once you’ve passed that … do you intend to actually enforce the new bylaw when it’s passed?” asked McCrea.

Fred Simpson, the town’s clerk, said timelines are flexible and subject to the influence of other issues and priorities that come before Mono Town Council. The proposed noise legislation is tentatively slated to go before Council again on Aug. 26.

Many proposed changes to the current bylaw have been centred on sound decibel levels, distances of sound propagation, and allowances for areas of town in which certain noise can be forgiven. This happens in places in proximity to farming activity versus strictly residential neighbourhoods.

“The whole reason why we’re doing this and changing it so dramatically from what we’ve had is that we have had advice that what we have isn’t enforceable,” Councillor Melinda Davie said.

Changes in the definition of what is noise and what is bothersome will hone the new noise bylaw.

“That is so that it’s going to be enforceable,” Davie said.

McRae said he was a member of a planning committee that lobbied for a noise exemption for the annual OAS fall fair at the Events Centre. Such fairs are what many rural towns like Mono are known for, he said.

Mayor John Creelman said the OAS fall fair has been given an exemption. But the society or its events centre has not been granted a blanket exemption.

Deputy Mayor Fred Nix has been the town’s representative on the CVC’s board of directors. He disputed McCrae’s assertion that the CVC isn’t fulfilling its mandate.

“Part of their mandate is to have green space and have the public out there and enjoying it,” Nix said.

“I understand that,” McCrae said. “That they’re doing some of those things. I’ll bet the Orangeville Agricultural Society think that they’re doing stuff too. Fred, I would agree with you. They are doing some of those things. But if they turn their focus to becoming also an event centre, then that’s the issue I’m bringing up.”

Mono resident Val Hoge asked council if the OAS has applied for a noise bylaw exemption for the Oct. 18 monster truck event.

Simpson said the town hasn’t gotten any applications for exemptions for any event planned for that venue.

Creelman said the OAS website indicates the only future event planned is this year’s edition of the annual fall fair.

“It’s only through some fairly creative sleuthing that our residents are finding out about these events that are being booked,” Creelman said. “Our residents are at a bit of a disadvantage knowing when these events are occurring unless they’re very gifted in terms of the use of Google.”

Simpson pointed out that the current bylaw prohibits amplified sound after a certain time, but it also prohibits the operation of a motor vehicle other than on a highway after 7 p.m.

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