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JULY 23, 2014
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CANNON CONFLICT
Devices cause rift between some farmers and neighbours
A special News report
APARTMENT DAMAGED
First in a series of stories in which The Abbotsford News examines the role, use and effect of propane cannons. Alex BUTLER
A5 No injuries after a van
Abbotsford News
careens into the Cedar Green apartment building
T
he starlings come in cloud-like swirls that can descend on a blueberry field and devour a farmer’s profits in a matter of hours. But this is a war, not a massacre, and blueberry farmers have a powerful, and loud, weapon at their disposal. Throughout the summer, blasts from propane cannons ring out across the berry fields, urging the birds back into the skies. In the midst of this conflict, many distressed neighbours say they have seen their own desire for peace and quiet shrugged aside as collateral damage. Propane cannons are used to scare away birds that feast on the blueberries. They begin to blast as early as June when blueberries – which cover 11,300 hectares in B.C. and, according to 2012 stats, had more that $1 billion in sales in the previous five years – reach maturity. But the sound – one model of cannon ranges from 100 to 125 decibels – also keeps some neighbours from enjoying their own land. The cannons can operate from 6:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. or from dawn to dusk, whichever is shorter, with a break from noon until 3 p.m. Single-shot cannons can fire once every five minutes, while multi-shot devices can activate 11 times, for a maximum of 33 shots in any hour. Despite perennial conflict between neighbours and farmers, cannon use is considered a normal farm practice and is Continued on A12
A3 Nineteen per cent increase in cases of items stolen from vehicles since last year
CRIME UP NEAR CAMPS A7 Police say more thefts from Gladys Avenue properties since earlier this year
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85¢ TYLER OLSEN Abbotsford News
Propane cannons are used in the berry farming industry to scare away starlings and other birds that prey on the fruit.
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