Over half of Canadians say the city or town they live in has become noisier: poll

According to Research Co. data, 32 per cent of Canadians said they have been bothered inside their homes by unnecessary noise from vehicles over the past year. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Carlos Osorio

A new survey conducted by Research Co. reveals that over half of Canadians (54 per cent) believe their city or town has experienced an increase in noise levels over the past year. This marks a five-point increase from a similar Research Co. poll conducted in August 2022.

Data shows that 61 per cent of residents of Ontario, Alberta and British Columbia think their city or town is more noisy than last year. The proportions are lower in Quebec (50 per cent), Atlantic Canada (45 per cent) and Saskatchewan (44 per cent) and Manitoba (44 per cent).

The survey also found 32 per cent of Canadians believe their home is noisier now compared to last year. Similarly, 43 per cent feel that their street has become noisier in the same timeframe.

According to Research Co. data, 32 per cent of Canadians said they have been bothered inside their homes by unnecessary noise from vehicles over the past year. The proportion was lower with dogs barking (30 per cent) and construction-related noises (29 per cent).

The survey shows that more than one in five Canadians have experienced other nuisances in their homes, including loud people outside (23 per cent) car alarms (22 per cent), loud music playing inside a vehicle (22 per cent) loud music coming from a nearby home (21 per cent) and excessive honking of car horns by drivers (21 per cent).

Twenty per cent of Canadians report being bothered by yard work—including lawnmowers and leaf blowers. The proportion is the same (20 per cent) with those who have been bothered by yelling or screaming at a nearby home.

A lower percentage of Canadians indicate being bothered by yelling or screaming at a nearby home (20 per cent), fireworks (20 per cent), power tools (19 per cent), a loud gathering or party at a nearby home (16 per cent), a home alarm (11 per cent) or cats meowing (7 per cent).

Sixteen per cent of Canadians said they wear earplugs to mitigate noise in their homes. Additionally, 11 per cent said they have bought noise cancelling headphones or earphones.

However, fewer Canadians have reported noise concerns to the police (nine per cent) or moved away from their previous home because of noise (six per cent).

“The proportion of Canadians who have not taken any action to deal with noise inside their home has fallen from 74 per cent in 2022 to 67 per cent in 2023,” Research Co. president Mario Canseco said in a new release published on Monday. “Canadians aged 18 to 34 are more likely to be wearing earplugs or acquiring special hardware to mitigate noise.”

 

Methodology:

Results are based on an online survey conducted from May 19 to May 21, 2023, among 1,000 adults in Canada. The data has been statistically weighted according to Canadian census figures for age, gender and region in Canada. The margin of error—which measures sample variability—is +/- 3.1 percentage points, nineteen times out of twenty.

 

Reporting for this story was paid for through The Afghan Journalists in Residence Project funded by Meta.