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Green city is a quiet city: ban the pipes

To the editor: Re: "12th & Cambie- Bagpiping up," April 13.

To the editor:

Re: "12th & Cambie- Bagpiping up," April 13.

Could it be that Mayor Robertson became aware of the ban on bagpipers and bongo drummers through the sudden absence of their noise? Does he even have the time to pay attention to the city's soundscape? I suspect pipers, drummers and other noisy performers may have turned up the noise at city hall about the ban loud enough to reach all the way up to the mayor's office. Now the ban is lifted and the cacophony is licensed to continue. Isn't that adding more unnecessary, unhealthy noise to the already over-burdened soundscape of Vancouver, meant to become the greenest, healthiest city in the world? The soundscape is, after all, an indispensable, integral component of the environment and, thus, deserving of the same care and protection. I'd also argue the original purpose of playing loud pipes and drums in combat has long ceased to be relevant.

Hans Schmid, president Right to Quiet Society