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Another case of the Great Canadian NIMBY
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| Jayx1 |
As i said, most of my complaints are about complainers and it's people like this that are ruining life in Canada. Whether it's train whistles, night clubs or the case of my neighbourhood, a skateboard park. If some people had their way, the streets would be bland and lifeless in order for them to be able to live like they are the only one for miles. Whats particularly astounding is when people move in to a place knowing full well what is nearby and then decide they have the right to have it removed.
I hope Canadians learn to be neighbourly again someday.
| quote: | Silence of the trains
NEW RESIDENTS ARE TRYING TO END THE CONSTANT WHISTLES ROLLING THROUGH PORT HOPE. OLDTIMERS TELL MIKE STROBEL THAT THE IDEA IS OFF THE RAILS
By MIKE STROBEL
Tell the gossipers and liars
I will see them in the fire
Let the train blow the whistle when I go
-- Johnny Cash
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IT IS going to rain on Port Hope. You can tell, eyes closed.
Listen. Hear that whistle blow.
Sounds dreamy, far away, though the big freight is near the viaducts over the Ganaraska, a salmon leap from downtown.
On a dry day you can feel that whistle to your toes.
Always, you can tell passenger (long, jazzy) from freight (curt, all business), short train (light, breezy) from long (earthy, bluesy), eastbound from west, old viaduct (1856) from new (1913), summer from winter, night from day.
"We grew up with it," Sandra Hoy tells me. "You didn't bother with a clock. You went home from grandma and grandpa's when you heard a whistle. You went in for supper when you heard a whistle.
"We're old Port Hopers. Still a lot of us. The train whistle is part of our life and our town and we don't want to lose it.
"And we resent new people coming to Port Hope and trying to change things."
HORN SILENCE
In Martin's Family Restaurant, Sandra joins best pal Jan Earle. Between them, they have lived in Port Hope 129 years, all their lives. Childhood friends.
A few weeks back, they got to talking.
Sandra said, "I've had enough b.s. We gotta do something."
And Jan said, "Why hasn't someone done something about it already?"
So they got after it.
"It" being the Citizens for Safe Railway Crossings and Horn Silence.
I find co-leader Patricia Boos, 38, in her new home near the viaducts. New? Well, 1875. Patricia, from Ottawa by way of the States, moved here with hubby and kids two years ago.
The house is Alfred Hitchcock. It hulks above the river. Soaring ceilings. Walls three bricks thick. Storm doors.
Still, you can hear that whistle blow.
Patricia points. "That is not going to bring people to be tourists and renovate houses and be part of the community.
"That is going to scare people away."
'NEW IDEAS'
But a lot of locals kinda like it. It's mournful. Canadian. Like a loon.
"They don't see the benefit of a quiet community. They have to realize there's an influx of new people, new ideas.
"When it's right there (she points again), it blows you away. When you're gardening it fries our nerves."
But surely you saw the tracks before you bought.
"We knew. But we loved the house and the community.
"We just didn't realize how often the trains came through."
About 75 times a day, says Horn Silence. Four blasts at each of five crossings, or 1,500 toots a day.
That could rattle your brain. Maybe it explains Port Hope's bid for an NHL team in the '80s.
Town council, which committed $500 to that (about $49,999,500 short), this time will budget a safety audit of rail crossings.
Then it will decide whether to ask Via, et al, to de-whistle, with costly safety upgrades, as they did in nearby Cobourg.
In Port Hope, this blow makes its NHL debate look tame.
"If you don't like it, move," ended one letter in the local Evening Guide.
"Childish," sniffs Patrica Boos. "Ugly and unwelcoming. Why do the pro-horn people resort to this kind of thing? We've been very polite."
TRAIN ARTIFACTS
Well, there was the library incident. Horn Silence booked a public meeting in a room full of Port Hope train artifacts.
Bad optics, so they took down the display. The library, surprise, was ticked. Horn Silence's Robert Fishlock, a Bay Street lawyer with Port Hope roots, apologized.
But it may have been the last spike. Pro-whistle lawn signs are popping up and Sandra and Jan say their petition has 1,600 names. Horn Silence's has 400.
Is neighbourly peace off the rails in Port Hope, pop. 15,000 and growing fast?
Jan: "People from the city haven't done any harm, mostly."
Sandra: "We're glad to have 'em."
Jan: "They just have to respect things as they are."
A whistle blows. Listen. Eastbound. Freight.
Storm's a'coming. |
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| malek |
| badly written, damn, its agonizing to read it. |
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| Jayx1 |
| It was written in an editorial story type format to put it across to the reader as a folksy type tale. |
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| samhouse |
the world is getting less tolerant..
its a shame...so many people fail to even make an attempt to live in harmony with their neighbours (generally speaking). Its all "me me me, mine mine mine!!"...
ffs |
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| MarkT |
When it's right there (she points again), it blows you away. When you're gardening it fries our nerves."
But surely you saw the tracks before you bought.
"We knew. But we loved the house and the community.
"We just didn't realize how often the trains came through."
Dear Ms. Boos,
Exactly how did you fall in love with a community and a home without even taking the time to explore the area into which you were moving? You fell in love with an idea that clearly is a fantasy. You have a naive and false sense of what exists here and are attempting to project your own desires on how this area "ought" to be.
Well, many of us have lived here all of our lives and quite like our community just the way it is. So on behalf of the town... you and your little group too. |
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| Jayx1 |
And all the other NIMBY losers out there. Communities are about adjusting to others as well as them adjusting to you. There will always be some distraction or noise when you live amongst others. If you decide to move in next to something that makes noise, expect it to make noise. If you move next to an empty field in a developing community, then you take a risk that something will be built there from another house to a freeway.
I live above a pub where there is loud music till 2am and and people talking outside my window. It's bothersome at times but thats life when you decide to rent a flat over a pub (or any other business). You have to expect that that business will operate. They will never hear one complaint out of me unless there is someone outside having a piss on my car or something LOL.
There should be dummy clauses put into every property sold and if i were running this country id make it law. |
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| DJ_Elyot |
| There are some cases where such claims are valid, but for the most part, it's very difficult to make any kind of appeal. The only exception is if something is costing the government money... |
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| MarkT |
| quote: | Originally posted by Jayx1
... if i were running this country id make it law. |
If you were running this country, I'd move :D
lol, j/k (I think) ;) |
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| Pettiscool |
that was the most painful thing to read ever.....
dont ever post anything so ing retarted again please.
who am i kidding.....give it .....t minus 11 hours till 3 more threads. |
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