Montreal daycare closes due to construction noise

The pylon driving at a construction site across the street from a daycare in the Ville-Marie borough of Montreal has become too loud for the daycare to stay open.

Imagination Daycare has closed its doors for two days due to the sounds.

“I have to shut down our business. I mean, we have 80 kids a day who come here. We provide a service. Upsetting… when we can’t be open,” Andrea Peplow, owner of the daycare told Global News.

All 80 children had to be picked up on Thursday, and they won’t be able to return until next week.

Global News measured the noise from steel pilings being driven 50 feet into the ground at more than 116 decibels.

The machine doing the work and making the noise is directly across the street from Imagination Daycare on the corner of Robert Bourassa Boulevard and William Street in Griffintown.

Parents picking up their children agree the noise is unbearable for daycare workers and kids.

“Very loud and definitely not a safe environment for babies,” one father told Global News.

Peplow and several parents have filed complaints with the city.

“Everbody says they can’t do anything — that they’re allowed to do that. But I don’t see how they can be allowed to do that,” she said.

Alain Guibert, a superintendent with Groupe Canvar, tells Global News the noise is within the city’s ordinance.

“We’re under, for what’s permitted for the noise, and it’s going to take five/six days to finish the job,” he said.

A spokesperson for the mayor’s office tells Global News, the Ville-Marie borough will look into the situation on Thursday.

Montreal’s mayor says she doesn’t have all the details but sympathizes with the daycare owner and the parents.

“For that very specific case, it’s hard to tell. But we don’t want a daycare to close because of noise,” Valérie Plante said.

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