With complaints piling up from residents frustrated by the early-morning racket of construction crews, one Ottawa city councillor says it’s time for the Ontario government to hand control of noise bylaws back to municipalities.

“Another year of this is going to drive residents insane,” said Kitchissippi Coun. Jeff Leiper, who plans to bring a motion to the next meeting of city council.

Early in the pandemic, on April 7, the provincial government suspended local rules governing construction noise for an 18-month period, through to October 2021.

Construction on hospitals and COVID-19 assessment centres can take place around the clock. Other construction is allowed from 6 a.m. to 10 p.m., seven days a week.

The longer hours help to stagger shifts, limiting the number of workers on job sites to make them safer, the government says.

In normal times, residents in Ottawa’s established neighbourhoods could call bylaw to complain about work being done before 7 a.m. and after 8 p.m. on weekdays, and before 9 a.m. and after 7 p.m. on weekends and holidays.

Leiper said bylaw officers and 311 call takers now know to explain that Queen’s Park has lengthened construction hours, but complaints flow into his office, too. 

“It’s a regular background noise in my office — 6 a.m. start times,” said Leiper. Staff have told him the city has received more than 250 bylaw complaints about noise in the early morning, but he tells residents to be patient because bylaw officers are also busy enforcing COVID-19-related restrictions.

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