Noise complaints from Burton Cummings lead to Moose Jaw, Sask. reconsidering its bylaw
Former Guess Who singer has complained about noise from neighbouring fitness studio in Sask. city
The City of Moose Jaw will ask the public for input on changing a noise bylaw after a dispute between a Canadian rock star and the fitness studio next door to his downtown home.
The Saskatchewan city decided to reconsider its noise bylaw after Cummings — the former lead singer for The Guess Who, who now lives in Moose Jaw — complained to council about the noise from classes at Dance Fitness with Kyra.
The business has received six bylaw charges following noise complaints from Cummings. The case is scheduled to be heard on April 18, 2019.
Moose Jaw Mayor Fraser Tolmie says the issue highlights a gap in the city's plan to move toward mixed-use zoning in the downtown area.
"This has challenged our existing bylaw and we've had to really look at how do we promote — how do I say this — people getting along together … being able to have a business and also people being able to reside and live in peace and quiet," said Tolmie.
Fitness studio owner Kyra Klassen previously told CBC Cummings had been coming into her classes to complain about the noise, and that he had called police several times.
Cummings also complained to city council.
Klassen said earlier this month she was shocked to learn that a petition had been launched to have the city bylaw changed. CBC was unable to reach Klassen on Tuesday for a response to the city council decision.
People make reactive decisions and it creates a flutter when actually, you know they're just getting maybe the headline.- Moose Jaw Mayor Fraser Tolmie
Tolmie said Cummings's high profile was not the reason the city has decided to consider changing the bylaw.
"A citizen is a citizen in our community and if someone brings forward an issue, it's the requirement of council to respond to that.… It doesn't matter who it is," said Tolmie.
"I think maybe that's been a little bit of leverage for people to try and make this a bigger issue than what it actually is. And, you know, our duty as a council is to respond to the community's well-being and that's what we're doing," he said.
"It's really, I think, been over-exaggerated."
City working on public consultation plan
Tolmie said the city administration is working on its plan for seeking public input on the bylaw.
He said part of the process will be to educate the public to address misunderstanding, something he said usually happens when a new bylaw is introduced.
"People make reactive decisions and it creates a flutter when actually, they're just getting maybe the headline — they're not getting the full understanding of what the bylaw is," he said.
"We want to make sure that people understand … what the decibel levels are, what that volume level is internally in their home, and what it is externally — because that's been confused in the past."