Another season of loud music on the water

   Another boating season on the lake brings another season of music cacophony for the lakeside homeowners. Boaters on the lake who play loud music are out of control. Boaters need to realize that the lakeshore is a residential area, whereas loud music in any other residential area would not be allowed. Unfortunately, since the lake appears to be outside of the city bylaws, boaters seem to think loud music is OK. Don’t get me wrong, I have no problem with sound of boat motors themselves (although there are a few high powered boats whose motor noise is unbearable). But the music, especially from tower speakers, is too loud and too disturbing and should be banned. Do boaters really need to have loud music playing while they enjoy the lake?
Many of us are annoyed by passing cars playing loud, booming music. Cars, however, are enclosed, pass quickly, and the annoyance is short-lived. But sound carries loudly and widely across open water from boats. The music from one boat, although entertaining only a few people, disturbs hundreds of others onshore for a long time with no escape. This is very selfish. On many occasions, there are several boats in the same vicinity on the lake all playing loud music. The noise drives many of us inside, depriving us of the enjoyment of our back yards. This is just not acceptable.
The loud music often continues late into the night. Last Saturday (June 22), a boat was cruising very slowly on the east side of the lake playing loud music at 3:00am! I can’t be the only person that finds this unacceptable, and the issue is only getting worse as boat traffic increases year-by-year. I propose that playing music while boating should be banned; certainly from tower speakers. Furthermore all boats should be off the lake or moored by perhaps 11:00 pm. If the city or RCMP cannot enforce this, then I suggest that we need something like a neighbourhood watch for the lake: volunteers who patrol the lake and confront the worst offenders.
Mike Ranger, a lakefront owner.