Noisy Mosavernales work leaves nearby residents in frosty mood

The City of Gatineau is working long hours getting Jacques-Cartier Park ready for the upcoming Mosavernales exhibition,and the noise isn't sitting well with some people living nearby.

Snow machines arefiring 24 hours a day, seven days a week to prepare the park forthe winter iteration of MosaCanada:an immensely popular Canada 150 installation of plant-based sculpturesthat drew more than1.3 million visitors last year.

• MosaCanada to return as Mosavernales
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For Claudia Martinangeli, who lives in a building on rue Laurier, the noise from the incessant snow production is simplytoo much to bear.

"Now, I find excuses not to be at home to not hear that noise," she told Radio-Canada in a French-language interview.

"It also prevents me from working and concentrating, because it's always an incessant background noise. It gets on your nerves."

Noise bylaw amended

In December, Gatineau council amended the city's noise bylaw to allowsnow tobe produced in the park between 11 p.m. and 7 a.m.from Dec. 15 until Jan. 27.

Deputy Mayor Louise Boudrias said that if crews had to stop making snow at 11 p.m., the exhibition might notbeready in time for the Jan. 26 opening date.

The cold overnight temperatures alsomake the snow machines more effective, she said.

"If we want to be ready in time for the [opening of] anevent that will attract 200,000 people to Gatineau, we must be able to do so. That's why we passed a resolution," Boudriastold Radio-Canada.

"If the weather stays on our side, we could [be]finished next Sunday."

'It's intolerable'

That's not good enough for Martinangeli, who said she called 311 to file a complaint about the noise with the city.

Residents living near Jacques-Cartier Park weren't asked whether they wanted the noise bylaw to be amended, she added.

Martinangeli'sneighbour JoeNahrasaid he'slost sleep because of the work to prepare the park for the Jan. 26 opening date.

"The noise here in the apartment is intolerable," he told Radio-Canada in French. "Twenty-four hours a day, [all] during the night. It's intolerable."

Mosavernalesis expected to rununtil March 4, coinciding withWinterludein February.

Unlike MosaCanada, which was free,visitors will have to pay $10 to see the newsculptures. Children under 12 will be able to get in for free.