Article content

TORONTO — To borrow from Joseph Conrad, “The horror! The horror!”

It was Sept. 7, 2015, about 11 a.m. on Labour Day.

We apologize, but this video has failed to load.

tap here to see other videos from our team. Try refreshing your browser, or Christie Blatchford: Fountain at the heart of darkness in dispute between affluent Toronto neighbours Back to video

Cristina Panneton was asleep in her home in the delicious, leafy, most sweetly affluent part of Toronto called Hoggs Hollow.

That’s when “the trades” arrived two yards over with their leaf blowers.

“Trades,” said Ms. Panneton, “are not allowed to work on statutory holidays.”

Though she was wearing pearls, she did not actually clutch them as she was testifying in a provincial offences trial at Toronto Old City Hall courts Monday.

“I was sleeping,” she continued, “and they (the vile trades) disturbed me, and I had to get up and shut the windows.”

Photo by Getty Images

Tragically, she could not get back to sleep, and thus made an entry in the “noise diary” municipal officials had given her.

Under “Type of Noise,” she wrote: “Landscaping equipment – lawnmowers, blowers, etc.”

Under “Location where Disturbed and How You are Affected,” she wrote: “Ongoing stress of violating Statutory Holiday restrictions and disturbing the quiet enjoyment in and around our home.”