Poll suggests you might want to shush as you celebrate
Last Updated: Thursday, December 20, 2007 | 1:10 PM ET
CBC News
If you're celebrating the holiday season with a house party this year, be warned: the majority of Canadians are likely to report their noisy neighbours to the police.
| Likely complainers, by region | |
|---|---|
| B.C. | 69 per cent |
| Prairies | 66 per cent |
| Ontario | 62 per cent |
| Quebec | 51 per cent |
| Atlantic | 50 per cent |
A survey conducted for the website Lawyers.com found that 61 per cent of Canadians are likely to complain to police about loud neighbours.
Peter McInroy, a spokesman from Lawyers.com, said the group commissioned the study because noise complaints were a popular topic among people searching or posting questions on its website.
McInroy, a Halifax lawyer who specializes in municipal law, said municipalities enforce noise bylaws under the principle that your enjoyment of your own property should be protected.
Regionally, Canadians are divided on how they deal with noise next door. For example, 69 per cent of British Columbians would report the noise to police, but only 50 per cent of people in the Atlantic provinces would do the same.
"There is a perception that the Maritimes is more laid back," said McInroy. "There's a smaller and less concentrated population here." He said that might be one reason why Maritimers are less likely to complain to police.
"If you know your neighbours, you're more likely to go and have a chat," said McInroy. "I think it often depends on the context of the situation and how well you know your neighbours."
Household income was found to influence noise complaints as well. Those who earn less than $55,000 per year are more likely to discuss noise complaints with their neighbour. Those who earn $100,000 or more are more likely to talk to the police.
McInroy said lodging a formal noise complaint is a long process.
"It's usually too expensive to tackle a private lawsuit about noise," he said. "Usually people are fined minimum amounts, but they've spent thousands of dollars to go through the court proceedings."
Ipsos Reid conducted the poll from April 27 to May 1, 2006. A random group of 1,184 adult Canadians filled out an online survey. The results are considered to be accurate within 2.8 percentage points.
