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The Ottawa Folk Festival has been charged with violating noise bylaws after callers overwhelmed the city’s 311 line on the first night of the rock and folk music festival.

Music from the festival, which takes place at Hog’s Back Park, could be heard as far away as the Glebe on Wednesday night, said Capital ward Coun. David Chernushenko, who estimated he received more than 30 complaints.

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“It may not sound like a lot, but it’s huge,” he said.

“It was very bad last night,” said John Smart, who lives in the Glebe, which is about 4.5 kilometres away from the festival site. He said he returned home at 9:30 p.m. and heard loud music until just before 11 p.m.

“There’s no need for festival organizers to be polluting the city.”

Smart said he waited on hold Wednesday night for about 30 minutes, and said the operator on the end of the line told him the phones were “deluged” with complaints.

On Thursday, Ottawa’s By-law & Regulatory Services confirmed that a charge had been laid under Section 2 of the noise bylaws that prohibits “unusual” noise from disturbing inhabitants. The city also said two bylaw officers would attend Thursday night’s festivities to make sure the vocal stylings of Lorde and other folk-rock acts stayed within bounds.