Restrictions on the use of leaf blowers in CDN-NDG
To ensure more harmonious relations between residents in Côte-des-Neiges–Notre-Dame-de-Grâce, the use of leaf blowers is restricted to specific times during the year.
On June 7, 2022, borough council adopted an amendment to the By-law concerning noise. This decision aims to:
- Reduce excessive noise stemming from the use of leaf blowers or vacuums
- Reduce their harmful impact on the environment
- Improve quality of life in neighbouhoods
What you need to know about the new by-law
It is prohibited at all times to use a leaf blower or vacuum equipped with a gas-powered two-stroke engine. Other categories of leaf blowers are permitted according to the schedule below.
Prohibition period | |
|---|---|
Between June 1 and September 30 | at all times |
between October 1 and May 31 | Monday to Friday between 7 p.m. and 7 a.m. |
Saturday between 7 p.m. and 10 a.m. | |
On Sundays and on public holidays |
Permitted period | |
|---|---|
between October 1 and May 31 | Saturday between 10 a.m. and 7 p.m. |
Monday to Friday between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. |
Noise impacts
Leaf blowers generate elevated noise levels that disrupt the quality of life in a locality. This noise adds to the noises already present in our communities, from schoolyards, waste collection trucks, work sites, traffic, and so on.
Did you know that leaf blowers can generate noise levels ranging from 80 and 115 decibels? For example, a measure of 80 decibels is equivalent to the noise generated on a street with heavy traffic, while 100 decibels is equivalent to the noise generated by a jackhammer at a distance of two metres.
Exposure to more than 85 decibels constitutes a sound nuisance that:
- Can cause hearing damage among users
- Disrupts the quality of life in a locality
- Disrupts wildlife in a neighbourhood (notably birds)
Environmental impact
In addition to the combustion created by gas-powered leaf blowers, the leaf blowers’ air jets can lead to the suspension in the air of fine particles that can have a harmful impact on human health, for example by aggravating reactions among people with asthma:
- Larger suspended particles can include fecal matter or pollen
- Finer suspended particles can remain airborne for a week
The suspended particles can also include dust, which the leaf blower can temporarily disturb before it settles on the ground again.
Adopting best practices
Other boroughs (Verdun, Outremont and Ville-Marie) and municipalities (Beaconsfield, Westmount) regulate the use of leaf blowers with the objective of improving quality of life in their neighbourhoods.
Now, it’s up to CDN-NDG residents to take action by adopting new habits. Residents are urged to opt in favour brooms and rakes—which are every bit as effective and much more silent.
*souce : Déoux, Suzanne.- Souffler des feuilles n’est pas anodin pour la santé !.-medieco, La santé se construit avec le bâtiment
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