Pilot project aims to measure concert noise levels in Saint-Lambert, Old Port

Residents in Saint-Lambert on Montreal's South Shore have been saying for years that when concerts are held at Parc Jean-Drapeau, the noise is so loud in some areas that it makes their windows shake.

"You can't invite anybody in your backyard because you can't hear them," said François Girard, a member of Silence Saint-Lambert.

A committee struck to address the sound issue announced earlier this summer that measures would be taken to cap noise.

The cities of Montreal and Saint-Lambert and the Société du parc Jean-Drapeau, the group that runs the park, have installed machines that measure the decibel levels and collect data to be analyzed.

The three sound measuring devices have been placed in Saint-Lambert, at Parc Jean-Drapeau and in front of the Habitat 67 near the Old Port.

A public site now shows the measurements of sound coming in, in real time, for anyone to view.

Geneviève Boyer, a spokesperson for the Société du parc Jean-Drapeau, told CBC's Daybreak that at the end of the summer, the data will be analyzed by experts who will be tasked with offering solutions.

She added that the developers tried to create a site that would be "comprehensive for the public."

"We tried to keep it simple," said Boyer.

The hope is that once a clear picture is produced of what the sound levels are during events like Osheaga and Heavy MTL, the experts will be able to suggest some mitigating measures.

For his part, Girard isn't convinced the sound measurements will provide an accurate reflection of how big a disturbance he and his neighbours have to contend with.

He told Daybreak that the machine placed in Saint-Lambert is low to the ground and out of the main sound disturbance zone.

"I'm not sure why they put the sound meter there. The most affected area is a few streets from there."

He said that while he appreciates the transparency of making the website public, he wants to make sure the data shows the peak sound levels, not just the averages.

The conflict over sound levels has been dragging on since 2014, when Montreal's Ville-Marie borough, which includes Île Notre-Dame and Île Sainte-Hélène, lifted the fixed noise limits on concerts.

Saint-Lambert has taken the fight to court, suing Montreal and concert promoter Evenko in an attempt to force them to find a solution to the noise problem.

In 2016, Saint-Lambert requested a permanent injunction that would force Montreal and Evenko to restrict the noise level to 95 decibels (dB) at Parc Jean-Drapeau.

New stage still a major sticking point

The city is building a new amphitheatre on Île Sainte-Hélène that will hold 65,000 concert goers.

Girard said having it oriented to face toward the South Shore instead of the Jacques Cartier Bridge will only make things worse.

"We don't want to ban any shows," said Girard. "It's more of taking measures to make sure that shows are done with respect."

Elected officials in Saint-Lambert say as long as the plan stays the same, they won't be dropping the lawsuit against Montreal.

Noise levels of 108 dB have been recorded at the concert site and a level of 68 dB was recorded at one residence in Saint-Lambert.

The World Health Organization considers noise above 55 dB to be "disturbing to sleep."