Town councillors in Kingsville will hear arguments in favour of enacting a bylaw to cut down on excessive light at night.
Arguing that artificial light at night hurts human health and the environment, Bill Jamieson and Mahayarrahh-Starr Livingstone with the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada will make a presentation during a council meeting on Monday.
They have said the advent of LED technology has increased artificial lighting in Kingsville and decreased enjoyment of the night sky.
An increase in hydro capacity since 2016 has meant greenhouse growers can artificially light their crops 24 hours a day, and with capacity expected to double in the next five years, the two fear the problem will only get worse.
If councillors enact a bylaw, Jamieson and Livingstone suggest health and safety will improve because residents will not be inundated with blue-rich white light, which is known to disrupt human circadian rhythms. They also hope Kingsville will open a dialogue with other municipalities in Essex County.
According to the pair, more communities are adopting bylaws to reduce night-time glare, including Huntsville and Vancouver.
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