b'CAREER PROFILEDEPARTMENTSifting throughthe noiseNicholas Sylvestre-Williams helps assess andcontrol noise levels at pits and quarries Q:What is your position and whattestimonyinmyfieldofacoustics, are your responsibilities? noise and vibration.I am a partner and owner of AercousticsAlotofexistingsitesalsoneedMY JOB EngineeringLimited,anacousticalacousticalaudits,soinspring,when engineeringconsultingcompanythings are getting up and running, myR-O-C-K-S!based out of Toronto, with about 50team and I are often out to multiple sites peoplebasedinourmainoffice.Iminaweek,takingmeasurementsand responsible for preparing Noise Impactensuring that facilities are operating inThe Ontario Stone, Sand & Gravel Studies for existing and proposed pitsaccordance with their noise controls. Associationboastsnearly300 and quarries. For new sites, this meansmembercompanies,employing meetingtheteamandunderstandingQ:Whatisitaboutyourjobthatmorethan7,000peoplewhose the plan. The next step is developingother people wish they got to do? rolesaredirectlyrelatedto the model to determine the optimumIve visited countless numbers of pitstheaggregateindustry.Each extraction process. andquarriesacrossCanadaIoftenofthesepeoplehasaunique Noise is often a very contentious issuejoke that Im paid to hike in beautifulandinterestingstorytotell anditseffectcanimpactneighboursOntario countryside and talk to people,abouthowtheycametowork hundredsofmetresaway,soImakewhile also taking noise measurements.inaggregate!Whilewecant every effort to minimize that impact onNoise is a challenging issue for a lot ofinterviewthemall,thisregular people while maximizing the flexibilitypeople.Itsnotjustabouthowloudfeature highlights the diverse and and operations of the aggregate site. something is, but the effect it has oninteresting careers available within Oncethereportspreparedandsomeone. I often tell the story that atheindustry,andshowcasesthe submitted,[thereis]thelongperiodperson can sleep next to a loud road,peoplewhomakeadifference ofwaitingforthereview(s)anditbut a ticking clock can keep someonetotheircompaniesandtheir includes responding to the MNR, theup, so its not about volume but howcommunities.Wanttolearn towns,theregions,theconservationyou react to the noise. even more? authorities, the public and the NGOs. ItI have a good understanding of how can take years for a single application,noiseaffectspeoplebutImalwaysVisit ossga.com/my_job_rocksandmoreoftenthannot,thingsendlearningsomethingneweveryday up at hearings, where I provide expertabout what is and isnt an issue.20 AVENUESFALL 2019'