Montreal – Yom Tov Noise Ban Causes Stir

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    FILE. The town of Hampstead is trying to do with a no-noise by-law that says you can't use a lawn mower during Rosh Hashanah, and Yom Kippur.Montreal – A mainly Jewish Montreal suburb has raised hackles by instituting a noise ban for Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year.

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    The town of Hampstead had already banned lawnmowers, pneumatic drills and other noise-makers on statutory holidays. But the council’s decision to add Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur to the law has made waves all the way to the provincial legislature.

    First offenders can be fined up to $1,000 while sanctions can double for repeat offenders.

    Local resident Fred Chano, who has lived in Hampstead for 14 years, told QMI Agency that he’s outraged.

    “I think the city has been taken over by religious extremists,” he said. “It’s a racist law.”

    Kathleen Weil, the minister in charge of cultural communities, said she was “surprised” that Hampstead added Jewish holidays to its noise bylaw.

    “I’ve never seen a municipal noise law based on religion,” she told reporters prior to question period.

    Constitutional lawyer Julius Grey says it’s one thing to enforce a no-noise by-law outside a church, mosque or synagogue during religious services. That, he figures, would probably be okay, but to dictate when you may or may not mow your lawn based on a reiligious consideration goes beyong the powers of a municipality.  Grey explains that you can’t   make somebody celebrate somebody else’s holidays.

    Grey says the fact that 85 percent of Hampstead residents are Jewish doesn’t enter into it. and says that, ultimately, municipalities in Canada are non-religious.


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    8 Comments
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    DRE53
    DRE53
    12 years ago

    Don’t we have enough people hating us? Why should yidden cvreate more enemies on themselves for shtusim like this? Even if 100% of the village would be yidden, this law wouldn’t make sense.

    12 years ago

    How can they force others to not conduct their daily life when it isn’t their holiday? It is one thing to not allow concerts/ street parades during everyone’s “high holidays” (no matter the religion) but to not allow people to mow their lawns? It is crazy and a chillul Hashem if the Jewish residents push for this law to be passed!

    newtransplant
    newtransplant
    12 years ago

    No nooise bans are stupid, they just get people’s backs. We’re in golus, face it, the noise reminds us of it. As for other denomination holidays, do away with the ban, they spend their holidays being noisy, they certainly don’t need this ban either!

    VeyIzMir
    VeyIzMir
    12 years ago

    Does that mean that Shofar blowing is also prohibited?

    bigwheeel
    bigwheeel
    12 years ago

    Let me give you my spin on this situation; It’s always the Jew (that we’re having trouble with.) Whether he (Or she) makes noise when everyone else is quiet. (Simchas Torah or Hachnasas Sefer Torah, are good examples.). Or, he tries to be quiet when everyone else wants to make noise. Even in their own municipality, they can’t pass a law to preserve the spirit of the holiday.

    12 years ago

    I live near Hampstead, let them make noise, the shofar makes noise.
    What next they can’t bbq pork only chicken?
    Get real.