The frequency and volume of bells at Our Lady of the Assumption Church have been reduced but neighbours in its Port Coquitlam neighbourhood are skeptical about how long the quiet will last.
Nick DiTomaso, a Grant Avenue resident, said the bells have been an annoyance since the Catholic church's new tower was built last year. He acknowledged that the disruptions had ceased but said he was concerned the changes are only temporary.
"The bells have been good this week," he said, "but let's get something on paper."
The city said the church has programmed its bell schedule to meet a 2009 memo it provided staff when seeking a variance to build the bell tower.
That schedule includes ringing for mass on Sundays as well as for weddings, funerals and other special occasions, not the hourly ringing between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. that has taken place.
If Assumption fails to follow the schedule, Wendy McHaffie, another area resident, said the city needs to enforce its noise bylaws and fine the parish.
"Where in the Community Charter... does it state that the city does not have to enforce its bylaws?" she asked. "Why make them?"
Mayor Greg Moore said the city likes to find a community solution before resorting to fines. Bylaw enforcement staff, he added, prefer to work with a person and educate them about the importance of adhering to the rules set out by the city before handing out tickets.
"We have chosen as a council not to go in and fine someone every time they break a bylaw," he said. "If we did, we would have people handing out tickets all day long. I don't think that would make for a happy community."
Last week, during a community safety committee meeting, PoCo councillors did not take formal action against the church regarding its bell schedule. It has asked the parish to reduce the volume to the 69- to 70-decibel range and stop hourly ringing.
If the two sides cannot find a compromise, PoCo staff have said a meeting will be held in the fall to discuss whether the city will need to intervene.
Paul Dufault, a member of the church's building committee, said the parish plans to adhere to the schedule it presented to council with one exception. He said a bell ringing at 9 a.m. on Saturday is currently not on the schedule but is important to mark a special mass for the church. Hourly ringing will no longer take place, he added.
"I think right now, our commitment is to maintain it through to September," he said. "But I expect it will continue. I don't see us going back to the hourly schedule."
