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Noise an unwelcome summer visitor

The din can carry to far walking trails of Mission

Editor, The Record:

It’s a beautiful sunny weekend in Mission as I write this, yet I sit inside with the windows closed and earplugs in my ears. Even with the earplugs, I’m faced with an assault on my eardrums that incite an almost violent response, the way a dog that feels attacked might bare its teeth when trapped by something inflicting pain. The culprit? Mission Raceway Park.

Sitting here eight months pregnant, the last thing I want to feel is aggravation, especially when rest is in order, yet there is no escaping the grating and deafening sounds of vehicles ripping down a track.

The violent and abusive noises of the raceway have been ongoing for years and were there a noise bylaw in existence that actually meant anything, surely it would be shut down or at least forced to deal with the aggravating noise it produces that is amplified throughout Mission and beyond.

The noise carries as far as the trails near Hayward Lake and across the river. There is no such thing as having a peaceful conversation outside when the drag races are on — conversation must stop until there’s a break in the deafening noise of cars gunning it. I won’t even go into the insanity of the environmental impact.

Want to take the kids outside to hear the birds? Play in the yard? Sing some songs together? Not possible since the Mission Raceway will drown out any pleasant sounds of summer you might wish to hear.

I don’t know who was responsible for the raceway's construction, or who the deaf ones are who keep it going, but I do know that the noise produced is nothing short of abusive, and an infringement on the rights of people to have some relative quiet on their summer weekends.

Elena Edwards

Mission