Montreal suburb to adopt contentious summer leaf-blower ban, says mayor
Tree canopies are a hallmark of the suburban tranquility in Montreal’s western environs, but some residents say the ear-splitting roar of a gardening tool used to maintain their foliage is causing a rift in the community.
A municipal push in Beaconsfield, Que., to silence leaf blowers for the summer has embroiled the city of roughly 20,000 in a dispute that pits neighbour against neighbour.
Mayor Georges Bourelle said he expects council will vote Monday to adopt a seasonal ban on leaf blowers. If enacted, the ban would run June 1 through Sept. 30 starting next year.
It’s a decision that Bourelle considers a “compromise” as the city joins a number of other Canadian municipalities who’ve debated leaf-blower regulations.