Bike noise OK, says St. Andrews mayor - Jun. 18, 2010
John Gardner/Courier
A biker executes a turn in front of the Fairmont Algonquin in St. Andrews,Wednesday, June 9. St. Andrews mayor John Craig says a little noise from motorbikes visiting for Atlanticade in early July is a small nuisance to endure for the dollars the event will generate for the community.
BY KATHY BOCKUS
kathy@stcroixcourier.ca
ST. ANDREWS – Short-term pain for
long-term gain.
That’s how St. Andrews Mayor John
Craig looks at a noise complaint issue
raised by a town resident concerned that
the town’s tranquility that may be disturbed
during Atlanticade, an upcoming
five day motorcycle festival.
“As a town we fully support the festival,”
said Craig. “This has the potential
to put over $3 million into the local economy
over five days.
“Jobs and businesses are important for
our town to survive and we are a tourist
town. People come here to enjoy scenic
beauty and hospitality.
“So we’re looking at it as short term
pain for long term gain.”
Larry Lack and his wife Lee Anne
Ward told the members of St. Andrews
council they want to make sure every
one of the motorcycles that are driven
into town June 30 to July 4 complies
with the law.
Lack told council he was aware that
some motorcycle enthusiasts are interested
in making their bikes as loud as
possible.
“Even four or five days can really disrupt
the peace and quiet which is treasured
in our town,” said Lack.
He said he hoped the town and the
local RCMP would cooperate in making
sure that the motorcycles coming into
town are all checked by a device which
can determine if the machine’s decibel
level exceeds provincial guidelines.
Craig said he knows of no plans by the
town to check motorcycles for their
noise levels.
Atlanticade organizer Dale Hicks said
5,000 motorcyclists could show up for
the event if the weather is good.
He said he is working very closely with
the RCMP planning the event.
“Our goal from day one is for this
event to finish on July 5 and have the
participants leave saying, ‘Wow, that was
a great event,’ and want to come back
and the residents of Charlotte County
saying the same, ‘Wow, that was a great
event, we hope they come back.’
“We know in doing that not everybody
is a motorcycle fan and yes there will be
some noise around with that volume of
bikes.”
Hicks recalled a motorcycle event he
attended a few years ago in Florida
where 100,000 enthusiasts gathered in
one community.
A man who offered his driveway to
Hicks and his companions as a place to
leave their motorcycles told them the
woman across the street from him was
not in favour of the event.
“He told her, ‘hear that noise coming?
That’s the sound of money’,” said Hicks.
“So we know everybody is not going to
embrace the event, but we hope that 90
per cent of the people enjoy the event
and get out and experience the event.
“We knew coming into it not everybody
would be excited about it, but we
think its going to be a great generator for
tourism for the region,” said Hicks.
Hicks said he’s had reports that the volume
of motorcycle traffic has already
increased in St. Andrews as people who
have visited the Atlanticade website take
a trip to the community to scout it out.
“I think St. Andrews is the type of
place you don’t visit once and I’m surprised
by the number of New
Brunswickers who have never been to St.
Andrews.
“Once you go there, you think, ‘Wow, I
gotta come back’.”
Advertisements
