Noise-emitting devices installed near downtown parkette removed following complaints
The noise-emitting devices installed on a building near a downtown parkette have been taken down, after Ward 27 councillor Kristyn Wong-Tam’s office received several complaints.

thestar.com
By ALICJA SIEKIERSKA
March 10, 2017

The controversial noise-emitting devices installed on a building near a downtown parkette have been taken down, property management confirmed Friday.

“The emitters have been removed,” said a brief written statement from John Mah, vice-president of asset management at Artis Reit, the investment trust that manages the property at 415 Yonge St., next to the McGill Parkette.

“This is now a non-issue and we will have no further comment.”

Ward 27 councillor Kristyn Wong-Tam’s office received several complaints about the high-frequency sonic devices on Thursday, which are said to target youth as the sound can only be heard by younger people.

The parkette, which is adjacent to the building at 415 Yonge St., is located near Covenant House, a shelter for homeless youth.

Mah said on Thursday the sonic emitters, which were installed in the fall, did not target youth and was being used to “augment security” for the building. He said the parkette was a high risk area for crime.

When asked about the noise-emitters, Mah originally sent The Star a link to the Mosquito Device on Thursday, a small speaker that produces a high-frequency noise the manufacturer says can be heard by young people 13 to 25 years of age. According to the product’s website, the Mosquito “provides a simple, safe and benign way to disperse crowds of anti-social youth.”

Wong-Tam said she was happy that the devices had been removed, but was hoping for a “more proactive and collaborative response” from the property owner on proposed changes for the park.

“We are trying to encourage them to give us permission to actually invest in park improvements, but they have resisted every step of the way and have every intention of turning it into a loading pad for their building,” she said.

Wong-Tam said the city has been working with residents, the Downtown Yonge BIA, police and the owners of 415 Yonge St. to improve the conditions and safety of the parkette, located near Gerrard St. E. The land the parkette sits on is being leased to the city by the building owners.

Mah said Thursday the building has not ruled out renovations, and that a loading area was one of many proposals on the table for the park.

David Angelovich, who lives across the street from 415 Yonge St., learned about the devices on Wednesday night after reading a post on reddit. He decided to investigate and said “it was pretty obvious there was a noise.”

Angelovich, 34, downloaded the Audio Spectrum Analyzer app onto his phone and measured the frequency in the parkette. He found it showed a higher frequency, and posted his findings to reddit, urging others to contact the city and building owners.

“Once I confirmed what was there, I was fairly concerned they were overstepping their authority,” Angelovich said. “I didn’t think it was appropriate that a corporate entity should be assuming policing responsibility for a public park.”

Angelovich hopes that the controversy surrounding the devices helps push the conversation about park improvements.

“This is the perfect opportunity to press them to allow it to happen,” he said.