To the Editor

Re: Boat races

I am a Haliburton Village dweller who lives at the edge of town: Close enough to be convenient but also close enough to hear every event that occurs in this town. I knew that fact when I developed the property but I have found that the music and other forms of recreation have been a point of enjoyment rather than a disturbance. There is something comforting about the sounds of a collective community enjoying the many recreational opportunities that the county has to offer.

Except…there are certain sounds that do not blend as art or recreation. Rather they collect into what I can only imagine to be the worst possible buzzing racket imaginable. We have all heard the expression about “getting on one's nerves.” As a person who has Parkinson's Disease (a Neuro-condition) I can honestly tell you that for some “getting on one's nerves” is far more than a cliché.

That constant buzzing drone gets in your head and makes you anxious uptight stressed. I won't bother describing what physical symptoms follow but make no mistake the sounds of this annual event literally get on my nerves! I can only imagine how our wildlife and domestic pets are affected by all this.

Some will suggest that it is a shot of income for the business community. I get that. But if I could develop an accurate multi-dimensional formula that measures the actual financial gain the numbers may present a different story. It would need to subtract the dollars lost by the many who turn around and leave in disgust. Factor in the cleanup and the shoppers who avoided the village in the first place and I am guessing that the margins are narrower than originally conceived. Make no mistake the bulk of our tourism dollars comes from people who are trying to get away from the urban landscape. If it was the noise they are after I am sure that they would spend their weekends at one of the many hotels by the airport.

What it boils down to is the fact that we need to find ways to share our living spaces harmoniously. We tend to participate in activities that either passively or actively occupy the common space. Everybody is going to make some noise some to our liking some not so much. As long as the price to pay is in proportion to the enjoyment that people get from it then it is all worth the fun. Having the entire village transformed into a place you can't wait to get out of (for the whole weekend!) is contrary to our tourism objectives as well as a blatant assault on our ecosystem. I say: select the winners from each lake association regatta and run a county-wide championship regatta all watercraft wind or human-powered.

Rob Stonehouse

Haliburton