Snowflakes Fall, Shovels Scrape, and the Noise Police
PSA ABOUT LOUD SNOW REMOVAL MACHINES
Medicine Hat residents, brace yourselves. The first snow of the season has fallen, blanketing our lawns, driveways, and streets in a frosty shroud. While some rejoice in the return of winter wonderland aesthetics, others—armed with snowblowers and shovels—might be unintentionally flirting with legal trouble.
Yes, folks, as you gear up to tackle the overnight snow pile-up, remember this: your trusty snow-clearing efforts could land you on the wrong side of Medicine Hat's Bylaw No. 4353, the city's official noise code. Section 19(d) may exempt "snow clearing devices" from the usual decibel limits, but if you're too enthusiastic about clearing snow at the crack of dawn, you might still rouse the ire of your neighbors (and maybe even the law).
It’s a slippery slope (pun intended). Shoveling snow too early risks inciting complaints about your "unlawful" snow-blowing serenade. With decibel limits hovering around 50 dB(A) for overnight residential peace, one could argue that your gas-powered snowblower’s mighty roar is equivalent to a midnight concert featuring revving motorcycles.
So what should the law-abiding Hatters do? Wait until exactly 7 a.m.? Set an alarm for 8:59 a.m., coffee in hand, to clear snow as lawfully as possible? The stakes are high. Medicine Hat Police could be on the lookout—or, at least, they'd like to be. After all, their energy might currently be a little tied up in, you know, solving actual crimes, like the unresolved homicide of Hazel Lloyd.
Yes, the Hazel Lloyd case, where a 94-year-old woman was tragically killed in her apartment in 2012, and police, despite years of effort, have yet to bring anyone to justice. While the sound of your snowblower at 6:55 a.m. might trigger an immediate response, we can’t help but wonder if they could spare a few more resources to crack the case of Hazel’s brutal murder—because surely, the sound of justice is worth cranking up the volume on.
But we digress. Back to the pressing issue at hand: snow. Local bylaw enforcement officers have assured the public that, while decibel meters may not be whipped out immediately, “repeat offenders” (you know who you are) could be given a firm talking-to—or maybe even fined.
So what's the solution? Silence your snowblower and go old school with a shovel? Perhaps install a heated driveway (price tag: “just” $10,000)? Or join your local gym and hope they offer a winter “snow lifting” boot camp?
And what about the police? Maybe they’ll finally find their groove investigating crimes of greater consequence. Because, while the faint buzz of a snowblower at dawn is mildly irritating, the buzz around Hazel Lloyd's unsolved murder is deafeningly silent—and that’s the noise we really need to address.
In the meantime, Hatters, clear your snow responsibly, avoid waking up your neighbors before sunrise, and, if you have any tips on either bylaw enforcement or Hazel Lloyd’s case, don’t hesitate to call the Medicine Hat Police Service. You might just solve a mystery—or, at the very least, keep the peace in the suburbs.
Stay frosty.
