Thick fog has engulfed Metro Vancouver for much of the past nine days, and while it has given photographers an opportunity to capture beautiful vistas it has been accompanied by the constant drone of fog horns around the clock.
The blaring noise can be sourced to the cargo and tanker ships parked and passing through Burrard Inlet as an measure of maritime safety during restricted visibility. Ship captains are enabled by international maritime law to use their horns in such conditions.
You can get a good idea of how many ships are in the Lower Mainland’s waters when you consider that Vancouver is Canada’s busiest port and North America’s fourth largest. Its operations and activities are a major economic and job generator for the region.
Of course, safety always needs to come as the priority – the noise is an highly effective method for ships to warn other vessels of their position and actions.
However, the recent frequency of the loud horn blasts throughout the day, even late into the night and early-morning hours, has been a major cause for irritation with many Vancouverites taking to social media to complain.
In Vancouver, the blasts from Burrard Inlet can be clearly heard as far south as West 20th Avenue, but residents living closer to the water are most affected with the intruding horns going off as frequent as every few seconds.
The constant blasts are also bothering those living in the North Shore, UBC, Steveston, along the Fraser River and Delta.
For those who are aggravated and experiencing issues with sleeping through the noise pollution, there is good news: a reprieve is in sight. The necessity for the frequent warning blasts will likely dissipate, at least temporarily, with weather forecasts calling for the end of the temperature inversion and the return of rainfall beginning on Tuesday.
Reactions from Vancouverites on Twitter
THAT FOGHORN IS DRIVING ME INSANE
— de la soñadora (@delasonadora) January 26, 2014
That fog horn needs to stfu I want to sleep — Danielle Lavis (@danilavis) January 27, 2014
@alschill well, now we know *shaky blood shot eyes* — Kate Wilson (@CrashKate) January 26, 2014
Foggy False Creek jog this morning. Let’s hope the foghorn isn’t my alarm clock again tomorrow. #yvr pic.twitter.com/bttVATRvXn
— Amanda (@amandakora) January 27, 2014
Pretty sure there’s actually a fog horn symphony going on in the harbour…. #foggyVancouver
— Shoshana Deutsh (@shoeberry) January 25, 2014
Oh fog horn, why must you blow…. EVERY 60 SECONDS o_0 #Vancouver — DaniellavanEllenberg (@daniellameara) January 26, 2014
IT DOESN’T SEEM NEARLY FOGGY ENOUGH FOR THIS MUCH FOG HORN, VANCOUVER. — Cathlin (@cathlinargb) January 26, 2014
Am I the only one who hears what sounds like a #foghorn blasting every few seconds?
— Roshan Bagga (@roshanbagga) January 26, 2014
@em_ilyang Why do I hear the fog horn I’m like 3-4 km away
— Sharon Lam (@sharonnlamm) January 27, 2014
what’s up with that #foghorn the past couple nights? every few minutes for hours :/ i know i live close to the pacific…but #loudnoises — stephanie mackay (@shescreams) January 27, 2014
I must find and destroy the fog horn operator in #Vancouver. #fogcouver #coalharbour #losingmymind — Heather Sponaugle (@heatherspon) January 27, 2014
Like the fog, not the horn.
— Myles the Connector (@mylesconnect) January 27, 2014
Ah yes the sweet, dulcet lullaby of the Burrard inlet #foghorn. Sing me now to sleep gentle BWAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA #Strathconaproblems
— Simon Little (@MrSimonLittle) January 27, 2014
If i hear one more bloody fog horn… #fog #Vancouver #yvr #fogcouver — Alex McRoberts (@webtwozero) January 27, 2014
This goddamn fog horn needs to shut the fuck up — Dani (@DanikaCEnad) January 26, 2014
I AM GOING TO BLOW UP THE FUCKING FOG HORN I CANNOT DO THIS ANY LONGER
— chels. (@_chelseasmile_) January 26, 2014
SHUT UP FOG HORN I’M TRYING TO SLEEP
— Nathan Sing (@nathan_sing) January 27, 2014
Seriously, between the fucking foghorn and all this Macklemore, I’m about to have a rage stroke. — Sarah (@yowhatsthehaps) January 27, 2014
All day all I’ve heard was the fog horn. Shut up! I get it there’s fog — mads (@madimilford) January 24, 2014
Non stop foghorn blowing since 4am in East Van #nosleep #boatswontcrash
— PPJ (@Kidstar_13) January 27, 2014
5th day of fog horns blasting all night in #Point Grey ~ its beautiful but sleep would be nice too. #foghorn #ships #lighthouse #vancouver
— Christine Duhaime (@cduhaime) January 27, 2014
A very powerful foghorn is being blown periodically *painfully close* to UBC, causing immense distraction. To be fair, it is foggy. — Chiara Mingarelli (@gravitate_to_me) January 24, 2014
The fog horn needs to shut up — Claire Purdon (@purdieclaire) January 26, 2014
The sound of the foghorn in Richmond is actually kind of annoying.
— Daniel Lam (@DannyLean) January 25, 2014
How do you know it’s foggy in Steveston? You have a foghorn wake you up every 5 min. During the night.
— Gabrielle Mundstock (@GabeMundstock) January 24, 2014
I’ve officially hit my fog horn tolerance limit. — Kathy Chung (@KathyKenzie_) January 26, 2014
@hessiebell when there are foghorns, the dog doesn’t sleep. And if the dog doesn’t sleep, I don’t sleep. And if I don’t sleep, fuuuuck. — donnamatrix (@donnamatrix) January 24, 2014
this fog horn is not helping my insomnia
— bianca (@delaguitare) January 24, 2014
Anyone else in the west end lacking a nights sleep because of the foghorn going off all night? Ugh, so tired! #vancouver #englishbay #tgif
— Amy Woodroffe (@amywoodroffe) January 24, 2014
I want to unfollow the person who retweets you because you’re more annoying than a foghorn at 3am, but that would be rude. — Mads (@plugul0us) January 24, 2014
Anyone else notice that regular fog-horn sounding noise in #NewWest? I don’t remember ever hearing it before. — Jason Howe (@JasonHoweNews) January 24, 2014
LISTEN UP, FOGHORN. IF I EVER FIND YOU, I WILL FUCKING END YOU.
— Sarah (@yowhatsthehaps) January 27, 2014
Okay, foghorn. That will do, thank you. #Vancouver
— Paul Nixey (@paulnixey) January 27, 2014
@pattibacchus We must find the operators of said foghorn, and suggest a more pleasant noise. Perhaps Siri? “Everything is going to be fine”. — Paul Nixey (@paulnixey) January 27, 2014
Foghorn needs to stop. No one cares. Modern boats don’t need to listen to yo pied-piper-shoal-warning BS toots. #stop — christie (@squirechristie) January 27, 2014
Was a awoken by a fog horn. #quietdown #itsasunday
— Laura Buchanan (@lauralbuchanan) January 26, 2014
So. Much. FOG HORN!! Damn living this close to the Fraser. #fogfogcitybitch
— Starr (@_StarrSM) January 26, 2014
#FogHorn kind of night in #RichmondBC. Given how often I’ve heard it lately, it’s actually rather soothing now. I’m disturbed.
— Chad Pederson (@chadpederson) January 27, 2014
Featured Image: Max Rivest