Train whistle, horns disturb the peace in South Okanagan as convoy protestors cruise around
Locomotives haven’t run along the Kettle Valley Railway since 1989, so it struck some people as peculiar when train whistles were heard around the South Okanagan this week. And it was no coincidence the train horn started sounding off shortly after members of the so-called Great...
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Locomotives haven’t run along the Kettle Valley Railway since 1989, so it struck some people as peculiar when train whistles were heard around the South Okanagan this week.
And it was no coincidence the train horn started sounding off shortly after members of the so-called Great Canadian Cruise arrived in Penticton earlier this week. Many of its members drive trucks and were part of the protest convoy in Ottawa.
Most of the noise came on Wednesday afternoon, March 23, during a slow roll demonstration conducted by the group. The train whistle could be heard then, and as far away as Summerland the night before. Penticton Mayor John Vassilaki said he heard the whistle and it sounded like a train.
The group has been travelling around the Okanagan, Kamloops and Merritt areas and returning to Penticton most nights.
Philip Cooper with the City of Penticton said 10 to 15 complaints had been lodged against them since Tuesday.
Anyone who hears a noise they don’t like has grounds to make a noise complaint to bylaw, Cooper said. From there, it’s the job of the bylaw officers to asses the situation.
Penticton bylaw services manager Tina Mercier said no tickets have been issued.
"Given that it's a moving violation it is a bit difficult for us to enforce that way," she said.
Officers are documenting everything they witness and they're holding onto that information to determine their next course of action, Mercier said.
"It has been a little bit disruptive with level of noise, but we also understand the need for people to express their freedom," she said. "We're hoping it's quite transitory. They made their point loud and clear."
Mercier said this week has been "a little bit more challenging than most weeks" for her team.
READ MORE: Out-of-province protesters plan to reinforce this weekend's convoy protest in Okanagan
The Great Canadian Cruise is also on the radar of the local police.
“RCMP are aware of the convoy protestors and are monitoring the situation, enforcement of the motor vehicle act will be taken if required,” Penticton RCMP Cpl. Heather Bradshaw said in an email.
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