Photo: City of Vancouver Archives AM281-S8-: CVA 180-3432
When I was first clued in to the existence of a BC charity called The Right to Quiet Society for Soundscape Awareness and Protection which advocates for more quiet in the city, my knee jerk reaction was to laugh and question whether or not it was an actual thing. But upon further investigation into what they do, then witnessing an even more unbelievable interaction on Facebook, I came to have a greater appreciation for people who head up - and join - groups like this. They really do make our city a more well rounded and, in most cases, better place to be.
The Facebook interaction in question was on a friend's timeline. I'd rather keep him anonymous so let's just say he's a high profile advocate for healthy and smart infrastructure in Vancouver. He had posted something related to his cause (which he is a qualified expert on), and a "friend" of his came in and slathered it in his own ego. No doubt you've seen things like this pop up when you're scrolling but this one was over the top: "We've known each other for a long time, and I generally think you're an okay guy, but you've gone off the deep end with this stuff! I work in the Downtown Eastside helping addicts, and you should be focusing on this as well. How about you chill for a while and focus on more important issues? It's such a shame that a smart man who has the ability to be heard is so misguided, ignorant and out of the loop on everything else that goes on around him.". I've edited this as it was a lengthy and drawn out tirade with a few back and forths, but that's what this person said to my friend, the passionate expert.
It got me to thinking, who am I to say that this group which wants a quieter city shouldn't be doing what they do? Without them, nobody would be championing this cause. Without my friend, there would be less people championing that cause. None of us should try and dictate what others are passionate about.
So, let me tell you a little bit about The Right to Quiet Society for Soundscape Awareness and Protection.
Registered as a non-profit society in BC in 1982, they gained charitable status in 1984. Their goal over the past 31 years had been "Providing advice and information regarding problems with noise production and distribution of relevant brochures Promotion and participation in the annual International Noise Awareness Day". I tried to get ahold of their executive director but haven't yet received a response (nor do they have any directors listed on their site), but from what I understand they spend money on leaflets, send out an e-newsletter and they operate a website at quiet.org. It's all in the name of "noise abatement through regulation and enforcement, and by encouraging responsible behaviour", and "promoting awareness of the increasing problem of noise pollution and the dangers of noise to our physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being" as well as "fostering recognition of the right to quiet as a basic human right."
On their site they share full-on research, resources about quiet products you can outfit your life with, along with anecdotes about noise, like this one: "Alan Law was sentenced in Cambridge, Ohio, to listen to four hours of polka king Frankie Yankovic's greatest hits for driving through the city with his windows rolled down and his truck's stereo blaring.".
Their Spring 2015 newsletter (available for viewing HERE), is an 8-page love letter to reducing noise. In it they repurpose articles about sound research studies that conclude things like "Mortality from respiratory causes linked to noise pollution".
According to Chimp, they have 0 full time staff and run on a lean budget. Digging a little deeper into their CRA reporting shows that their total expenditures on charitable activities since 2001 have hovered around $2,000-$4,500 per year. Nobody is generating income from this work; it's a passion project which I am assuming has a very small crew who just want more peace and quiet.
The address listed for their society is a suite at a social housing retirement home in West Point Grey where peace likely reigns supreme, and I imagine there's more than one person there who proudly sports this t-shirt below (which you can BUY off of them on their website).
While trying to make the city more quietly is not at all my cup of tea, advocating for healthy waterways and the future of salmon in BC (which I do, loudly, and often) probably looks the same way to others - likely even The Right to Quiet Society's board of directors. But we all see different problems in our city and our world, and we should all work to address them in whatever way we can.
