Editor,
Summer is arriving, along with its so enjoyable longer days and warmer weather. How about a walk on a soft summer evening? Maybe through one of our lovely, leafy neighbourhoods, or down to one of our beaches?
But there is a jarring trend disrupting our community after dark — the extremely bright light emanating from some of our multi-storey buildings. We now have quite a few in our area with “architectural feature lighting” shining all night from rooftops, or from lighting affixed to walls. One local highrise design features a curved tube-light on the building’s side, from its top story all the way down to the ground.
We see many larger and higher buildings under construction, with green planning notices announcing more to come. We hope these buildings will be graceful and interesting and attractive. We hope they will NOT include all-night “decorative” exterior lights! When these lights intrude into neighbours’ windows, blackout curtains become necessary and evening views are lost. And affected neighbours must forgo night breezes though open windows, unless they want them accompanied by glaring light.
Every living thing is healthier with a 24-hour cycle of light and dark. This includes humans, of course, but artificial bright lights also harm nesting and migrating birds, as well as bees and other pollinators. Even trees and other growing things are healthier when they get the normal rest period of darkness every night.
So what can you do? If you live or work in a multi-storey building, look at your building’s lighting from your neighbours’ perspective. If light projects outward into the neighbourhood, or up into the night sky, try to get the lighting toned down, or at least turned off at 10 p.m. If light is intruding into your own home, tell your neighbour how their bright lights are affecting you.
Sometimes, it feels like we are trending toward an urban environment lit like an all-night casino. Our goal is just the right amount of light for safety and security, shielded from above and directed exactly where needed. And for us to be able to enjoy that sense of community created as residents turn on inside lights which then glow through their windows in varied and interesting patterns. Let’s work toward a healthy and attractive night-time environment for our community.
Janet McIntosh, on behalf of White Rock and Surrey Naturalists Society
