Persistence has paid off for Valley Axe on London Line.
Sarnia council approved its latest noise bylaw exemption request Monday.
President Bo Tait said he learned from the opposition to his previous requests and reconfigured his approach, this time asking for an exemption until 11 p.m. for five events, across five months, from May to September.
"We have eliminated musical events entirely," said Tait. "None of the events will include live instruments. Given that this is by far the greatest concern, this should calm fears across the board. We get it, our neighbours don't like guitars and drums, so there won't be any, and musicians will continue to be the biggest losers under COVID restrictions."
Tait said the request represented more than a simple bylaw exemption to him.
"It's about showing support for the businesses that have been repeatedly shut down, and are still shut down. The industries of entertainment, fitness and sports and recreation are beyond exhausted. Our opportunities for success have been completely taken away, leaving us scrambling to find new avenues to survive. It's a heavy burden to carry, but carry it we have."
Councillor Terry Burrell supported the motion, but with hesitation.
"The reason being is that it's five days, [the bylaw] really only extends for two hours each of those days, which is a total of ten hours over the whole summer," said Burrell. "To me, the big irritant, the music, is gone. So, it won't be continuous hopefully. I can't guarantee that someone doesn't get on the mic and be a motor mouth for two hours."
Councillors Margaret Bird and Dave Boushy voted against the recommendation.
