Ottawa By-law & Regulatory Services review of the City of Ottawa's Noise By-laws, presented to Community and Protective Services on May 18, 2017

1. Noise By-law Review
18 May 2017
Community and Protective Services

2. Background
• By-law Review Strategy was approved in June
2015
• Noise By-law identified
• Conducted research and municipal comparison
• Developed discussion paper
• Completed public consultations
• Staff report with recommendations
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3. Service Requests
• Noise related requests have declined 21%
over the past 5 years
• 1.7% of households reported noise
disturbance last year
• 0.4% of households reported noise
disturbance on more than one occasion
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4. 4
Public Opinion Research

5. 5
Public Consultation
• Over 3,100 people participated
• Online consultation
• 4 in-person community workshops
• Greenboro Community Centre
• McNabb Community Centre
• Overbrook Community Centre
• Mlacak Centre

6. Recommendations
Staff is recommending no changes to :
• Construction times
• Snow removal exemption
• Motorcycle/vehicle noise
• Special event exemptions
• Wind chimes
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7. Recommendations
Low Frequency (Bass) Noise and Vibration
• Define bass noise as “any low frequency
sound which may be audible or otherwise
felt as vibration”
• Include bass noise under Section 2 –
UNUSUAL NOISE, NOISE LIKELY TO
DISTURB
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8. Recommendations
Construction Noise Exemptions
• Reduce maximum sound level permitted for
construction exemptions from 90 decibels to
85 decibels
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9. Recommendations
Municipal Waste Collection
• Exempt municipal waste collection from the
Noise By-law, to permit overnight clean up
of Main Streets, BIAs and community
centres
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10. Recommendations
Commercial Waste Collection
Deliveries
• Amend applicable sections to enable
enforcement against companies versus
individual employees
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11. Recommendations
Car Alarms
• Reduce permitted time for car alarms from
20 minutes to 5 minutes
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12. Summary
Repeal and Replace Noise By-law to:
• Define and specify bass noise in the general provision
of the by-law that addresses noise likely to disturb
• Reduce the maximum noise threshold for construction
exemptions from 90 dB(A) to 85 dB(A), in accordance
with provincial standards
• Exempt municipal waste collection
• Enable charging of companies for after-hours waste
collection and deliveries
• Reduce permitted car alarm time to 5 minutes from 20
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