The company behind the massive new grain terminal on the North Vancouver waterfront says a technical malfunction was to blame for bright white strobe lights flashing throughout the night Thursday, to the annoyance of many in the Calverhall neighbourhood.
G3 Terminal Vancouver, which is still in its testing phase, switched on its red and white flashing lights at the top of its tallest structures Thursday, as required by Transport Canada for aviation safety.
Like most safety beacons, they are supposed to flash white during the day and red at night, so as to be less disturbing.
“The automatic controls however did not operate as intended resulting in the white lights flashing after dark,” a statement from the company read. “Steps are being taken to resolve this issue immediately. We apologize for any disturbance this issue has caused our neighbours.”
Neighbours who spoke to the North Shore News described a night of “horrendous light pollution” and like being “inside Studio 54.”
“It’s awful,” said Deb Thompson, a Shavington Street resident. “They’re reflecting off the glass. They’re reflecting off the walls and it’s really annoying.”
Colleen Foy said her family lost a night’s sleep because even blackout blinds weren’t enough to keep the trespassing light out.
“It was literally like someone was flashing a flashlight into our living room,” she said. “They’re blinding. It’s brutal.”
The G3 terminal is expected to be online later this year.
This is what all the homes in the Queensbury/Calverhall neighborhood see out their front windows as of April 23rd! Please let us know what we can do about this. @LindaCBuchanan @BowinnMa @CityOfNorthVan pic.twitter.com/TMdvXJknFV
— Deb Thompson (@discoverydeb) April 24, 2020
Uhhh I Hope these lights are not permanent at the new G3 terminal. @CityOfNorthVan @NVanDistrict @PortVancouver #northvan pic.twitter.com/BFbf26sdWO
— Anthony Riglietti (@anthony604) April 24, 2020
