Not a Nuisance
Some people, including our provincial representatives, believe that the excessive noise from the Henday is simply a nuisance that people will eventually get used to and stop complaining about. The fact is that people do not get used to noise that is continuously variable (such as traffic noise), and noise is more than a nuisance - it is extremely damaging to people's health.
The World Health Organization says that the "main health risks of noise ... are:
- pain and hearing fatigue;
- hearing impairment including tinnitus;
- annoyance;
- interferences with social behaviour (aggressiveness, protest and helplessness);
- interference with speech communication;
- sleep disturbance and all its consequences on a long and short term basis;
- cardiovascular effects;
- hormonal responses (stress hormones) and their possible consequences on human metabolism (nutrition) and immune system;
- performance at work and school."
The Henday extension is located located 200 meters from many houses along its path, and is incredibly noisy. Living downtown, right beside high-traffic streets, and a reasonable distance from provincial highways cannot compare to the level of noise that the 6 lanes of traffic on the Henday generate. The primary contributors to the noise are the heavy trucks and the very high average speed (much greater than 100kph) that are present on the highway. Living beside an airport would be the closest comparison to the level of noise from the Henday.
The
lack of noise barrier is causing serious issues for residents:
- regular interruption of sleep;
- significant loss of property value;
- reduced quality of life.
Health and Safety Issues
At least several times each night, a loud, speeding car or
heavy truck will generate enough noise to wake many residents up. It is far worse in the summer when leaving the windows open on hot
days is a necessity. Lack of sleep is a primary contributor to a wide
range of health issues, including heart disease, diabetes, kidney failure, obesity, and others. Countless sources support these statements (see the links section for more):
| "More importantly,noise can cause stress. Like other sources of
stress, it can temporarily affect the heart rate, blood flow and
may also affect the immune system and the biochemistry of the blood." (Health Canada) |
| "Disrupted circadian rhythms (i.e, wake/sleep patterns) have a devastating effect on the heart, kidney and possibly other organs" (News) |
| "chronic exposure to high levels of traffic noise increases the risk for cardiovascular diseases" (Epidemiology) |
| "chronic exposure to environmental noise leads to impaired cognitive function and health in children" (WHO) |
The lack of sleep may also cause safety issues for working residents: tradespeople on job sites, nurses and doctors caring for patients, and generally anyone driving to work in the morning.
Property Value
Property values for those living along the Henday have dropped by 20% or more independently of other market variations. Even if residents wanted to move for health
or lifestyle reasons, they couldn't do it without losing money. It is completely
unacceptable that the province, for no good reason, has taken millions of dollars off the value of properties near the Henday.
Quality of Life
The communities along the Henday are open and friendly, and most residents enjoy using their back yards during
the summer for barbecues, entertaining, and recreation. This is now almost impossible due to the lack of a noise barrier (the standard 65 dBA noise level is significantly more noisy than normal conversation at 60 dBA). This is
a significant degradation to the quality of resident's lives.
Resolution
All of these issues can be solved by installing a noise barrier along the East extension for a fraction of a percent of the original project budget. The fact that noise attenuation was not included in the budget reflects badly on the much vaunted public-private partnership, making it seem that government has abdicated its responsibility to taxpayers in favour of corporate profits.