Residents upset about the sound of blueberry field propane cannons are being invited to a forum in Ladner this week.
It will be held at the Sundance Inn banquet room on Wednesday at 7 p.m.
"We will learn what our options are and what we need to do individually and collectively as a group to combat our grievance. There will be an opportunity to ask questions and find out how you and your family can get involved in the process," a flyer promoting the event states.
The flyer has been circulating but doesn't indicate who's organizing the event. It's urging people to attend to show strength in numbers.
B.C. Ministry of Agriculture guidelines allow cannons to be used from 6:30 a.m. to 8 p.m.
According to the group Ban the Cannons, the ministry regulations are vaguely worded, difficult to enforce and too lenient. The group, which will have representatives at Wednesday's meeting, notes farmers must take due measures to minimize noise impacts on neighbours, however, propane cannons emit a noise like a shot gun blast, at 120 to 130 decibels.
Blown many times per hour, especially during berry season from late June into October, they can be not only annoying but also stressful, the group says.
"What is really frustrating is that propane cannons are totally unnecessary. In British Columbia, the B.C. Blueberry Council swear by their cannons, and cannon defenders at the Ministry of Agriculture state that cannons are a necessary tool for blueberry growers, however no one in these organizations have ever studied their effectiveness. Their views are simply hearsay," their website states.
Some of the alternatives for bird control proposed by the group include nets to totally enclose blueberry crops.
Abbotsford council has been considering a bylaw that would increase restrictions on noisemakers used to scare birds from fields following complaints by residents.
Reports on the use of propane cannons in 2009 and 2011 by the B.C. Farm Industry Review Board recommended local governments not pursue a ban on propane cannons until they have exhausted all other available means for managing cannon conflicts in their communities.
Delta council hasn't considered trying to pass restrictions.
Coun. Ian Paton said residents concerned about cannons can call municipal hall where the complaint will be forwarded to the B.C. Blueberry Council. A liaison officer will attend the farm in question to make sure the farmer is aware of the rules regarding how often cannons can go off and how far they must be from residences, he said.
The blueberry council says blueberries currently account for 8,100 hectares grown by more than 800 farmers, producing upwards of 40 million kilograms annually in the province. That accounts for about 98 per cent of blueberries cultivated in Canada.
Paton said many local farms have switched to the crop in recent years and more land continues to be converted.
One conversion now underway involves well over 100 acres at Brent Kelly Farms in East Ladner.
"I thought the bubble would burst with blueberries, but it seems to be holding on for now. There's still people who keep buying up farmland and converting traditional fields to blueberries," Paton said.
Paton noted one of his concerns is that blueberry fields displace feed for wildlife, which puts more pressure on farms still growing traditional crops.
