We’ve received many inquiries from residents about overnight noise in the northern part of Stittsville, north of Hazeldean Road and the Carp Road area.
It was a bit of a mystery: there is no overnight construction work underway, or any noise by-law exemptions that we are aware of in Stittsville. By-law was engaged and my team contacted local industrial businesses, government agencies, and city departments to see if we could find the source.
But it appears we now have an answer. We’re reasonably certain it was related to the West Carleton Environmental Centre landfill site on Carp Road. Waste Management says that they use a propane cannon to deter birds during operating hours. The equipment is timer-controlled and designed to produce brief, occasional noise bursts during the day, shutting off at the end of operating hours. It’s not typically deployed overnight.
But it appears the timer recently malfunctioned, resulting in noise occurring after hours. The equipment has since been manually shut off, and the staff are currently investigating the cause of the timer malfunction. They’re going to keep that equipment offline until they are confident it will operate correctly.
Residents should have a quieter night this evening. We encourage residents to report any excessive noise by calling 3-1-1. Operators will be able to take down your location, the time that you hear the noise, and any other description that may help identify the source.
Thank you!