Regular Updates Moved to Social Media

Regular updates on the work we're doing has moved to social media:

Twitter: @alberta_hum (https://twitter.com/alberta_hum)

Facebook: Alberta Hum (https://www.facebook.com/AlbertaHum)

We will occasionally use this blog to share information and will maintain this site for the chronological record of our work and recordings. Please follow us on Twitter and Facebook for more regular information.

Thank you.

Man says he's a divining rod for mysterious Alberta hum

The Hum search in #Edmonton and #Calgary is in the news. Thank you to Colleen Underwood of CBC News for researching and writing the article. Be sure to check it out, particularly if you'd like to hear a recording of the #hum.  Click here for the CBC article.

< https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/alberta-mystery-hum-1.4942943 >

City council members in Calgary and Edmonton, 2018

People who are hearing a Hum that they cannot explain should be letting their city council members know.  These men and women can only act on your behalf if they know the problems you are experiencing.

To be in touch with your council member in Calgary (2018), have a look at the following site:
http://www.calgary.ca/CityCouncil/Pages/Councillors-and-Wards.aspx

Edmonton city council members (2018) are listed on this site:
https://www.edmonton.ca/city_government/city_organization/city-councillors.aspx

Working proactively with city administrations are one of the important steps to helping resolve the hum issue that's being noticed in the two cities.

Should we include anyone else?  Please let us know in the comments below.

An Edmonton Hum story that may have a happy ending

Hum news out of Edmonton to share. A story that might have a happy ending for some residents in the city: 

http://edmontonjournal.com/news/local-news/heres-what-the-hum-in-mill-woods-sounds-like-is-this-what-youre-hearing

New Updates posted to Facebook Page: Alberta Hum and Twitter: @mysterious_hum

People who are interested in staying current with us, please follow and like us on Facebook: Alberta Hum and follow us on Twitter: @mysterious_hum

Edmonton's Hum Very Loud Recently

Observations made in Edmonton these last two weeks are demonstrating that the Hum is becoming louder, at least in the neighbourhoods of Kilkenny and Capilano   Additionally, the Hum is noticed outside at times.  The droning, vibrating, low frequency of the Hum's increasing intensity appears to correspond to the weather becoming cooler. 

Updates October 2017

We are slowly getting back to posting on the blog.

Although we haven't been active here, we have been traveling in Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba, listening.  A low frequency hum with similar characteristics is heard at many points throughout Alberta, and in some locations elsewhere in the other two provinces.

We are very appreciative of the people who are contacting us and letting us know where they are hearing a hum and are describing it.  Please continue to do so!

Engage with Utility Companies

The Noise Investigation Team has noticed a slight increase in the number of people reporting that they are being bothered by a hum.  People from Edmonton and Calgary have said that the hum has been a bit louder/intense/more noticeable from mid-December to now.  Thank you for being in touch with us and letting us know what you are noticing.

A gentle reminder to people noticing a hum for the first time: be sure to contact your utility companies as well as reporting your situation to your City's 3-1-1 (or comparable) line.  There have been a few instances where a hum has been resolved by a utility company.  It's an important step in trying to secure the peace and quiet so many people want in their homes.

If you have had a hum issue resolved by a utility company, we would like to hear from you.  Please let us know the details as to what the hum sounded like, whereabouts it was noticed, which utility company attended to the hum and the steps taken to resolve the hum.  We look forward to hearing your success stories!

Mobile Phone App for Hum Search

Dr. Mike Smith and Adrien Gaspard of the University of Calgary began work on a mobile phone app intended to help identify and locate the Mysterious Ranchlands Hum.  Orchisama Das of Jadavpur University, India has been extending work on the app.  Their work has recently received considerable media attention.  The links to the various articles and broadcasts are included below:

Calgary Herald (July 27, 2015): Researchers develop app to record Ranchlands hum

CTV Calgary Evening News (July 28, 2015): Researchers hope to get a handle on hum in northwest neighbourhood

CBC Calgary News at 11 (July 28, 2015): Mobile Phone App to Assist in Solving Ranchlands' Hum Noise Nuisance (at approximately 8:25)

National Post (July 29, 2015): A mysterious hum has been plaguing residents of a Calgary community since 2008 

CBC Calgary Eyeopener (July 29, 2015): Ranchlands hum app

CHQR News Talk 770 (July 29, 2015): follow this link, select Audio Date = July 29, select Audio Time = 4 pm, skip to approximately 48 minutes 

Schulich School of Engineering (July 30, 2015): on Facebook, linking to Calgary Herald articles and inviting comments 

The University of Calgary has set up a web page to assist with Dr. Smith and Orchisama's work:

Investigation into Community Noise Issues (Hums around Calgary and throughout Alberta)

This is intended to be a useful resource for the hum investigation.

Ranchlands hum mystery still stumps researchers - CBC News

On May 29, 2014, CBC News Calgary ran a follow up article on the mysterious hum that still plagues many people.  With the federal government providing a grant to help researchers solve a similar puzzle in Windsor, Ontario, our team is hopeful we will be given the same consideration to help us during our investigation.

The TV broadcast can be viewed here.

Comments welcomed!

‘Mysterious hum’ could be music to ears of Alberta tech companies - Calgary Herald

A link to a news article about the Hum that ran in the Calgary Herald on June 6, 2013.

We welcome people commenting on what some of the companies are thinking about doing in the comment section below.

Another Edmonton Observation

We just received this comment:

"I have been hearing a low incessant hum quite frequently in west Edmonton near 178 street and 76 avenue. I started hearing it for the first time sometime in February or March this year."

Has anyone else noticed something like that in the area, or close by?  Be sure to add to our comments and let us know.

Continuing To Collect Info

Thank you to those who have been in touch with us regarding Hum sounds they are hearing.  We are continuing to collect information.  Please continue to be in touch.  Also, we would appreciate if you would help get our message out there - pass along links to our blog.  Thanks.

New Blog Title

The tite of this blog has been slightly altered to reflect the change in scope of the investigation to include all of Alberta.  The switch has been from "Unidentified Noise in Calgary" to "Undentified Noise In Alberta".  The URL remains the same, so as to maintain readers and rankings. We will continue to be found at http://www.unidentifiednoiseincalgary.blogspot.ca/

Hum Scope Widens

The scope of the Hum search is widening. The team has received reports from many areas in Alberta where a hum has been noticed.  Calgary and Edmonton are foremost on the list, but also a hum had been heard near Gull Lake, Miquelon Lakes and in Jasper.  This helps the team look for commonalities in an attempt to first identify what is causing this phenomenon.

Thank you to those who are sharing their stories with us.  Keep them coming in, please.  Also, please pass along our information not only to those who may be hearing an odd hum around their places, but also to people who may be interested in helping solve this intriguing puzzle.

Herbrandston residents 'tortured' by mystery low frequency noise (From Western Telegraph)

We have noticed the phenomenon of a low frequency hum happening worldwide.  This link point to a recent article about a hum bothering people in Great Britain:

http://www.westerntelegraph.co.uk/news/10425414.Herbrandston_residents__tortured__by_mystery_low_frequency_noise/?ref=nt

Easter, 2012 & The Hum Is Increasing In Popularity

The Hum has gotten quite prevalent these last few weeks in our house. It seems that it is being heard in more houses in Calgary, too. The Team is receiving reports from residents in other NW sectors of the City being bothered by the Hum, and by more Ranchlands residents. If you are now noticing it for the first time, or perhaps more frequently than you did before, please let us know.

Post-Meeting Update from the Noise Investigation Team

Dana Negrey provided the community a summary of the work done by the Noise Investigation Team seeking the Ranchlands Hum:

1. Water system: The test coordinated with the City of Calgary Water Services has ruled out the Bearspaw Dam pumping station as a source of the Hum. There are intermediary pumping stations between Ranchlands and the Dam that the team will next be looking at. The Team is continuing to operate on the working hypothesis that the Hum is being carried into various residents' homes via the water pipes. However, the source of the Hum continues to be elusive.

2. EMF/cell towers: The team will explore the potential of EMF energy and/or cell towers being the source of the Hum. This avenue of investigation will be explored, if need be, after a more in-depth look at the water system.

3. Gas Lines: the team has learned of an occasion when a Ranchlands resident noticed changes in the Hum corresponding to work done on the gas line into her house. Specifically, she noticed that when pressure in the natural gas line was eliminated (i.e. the gas in the line to her house was turned off) the Hum disappeared. When the line was back under pressure, she reported the Hum started up once again. The team would like to hear from other people who have had similar experiences, whether in Ranchlands or elsewhere.

4. Thank you: the team recognized the efforts done by City of Calgary Alderman Gord Lowe and City of Calgary Water Service's Chris Huston for assisting with the Bearspaw Dam test in June, 2011. The team is grateful, too, for the continued support of the Ranchlands Community Assocation.

5. Team Members:
Mr. Dana Negrey, Team Leader, Ranchlands Community Association;
Dr. Marcia Epstein, Acoustic Ecology, University of Calgary;
Richard Patching, Acoustical Engineer, Patching & Associates;
Dr. Kathleen Biersdorff, Research and Communications, K.K. Biersdorff Consulting;
Mr. Terry Avramenko, President, Ranchlands Community Association;
Dr. Mike Smith, Electrical and Computing Engineering, University of Calgary.

REMINDER Mysterious Ranchlands Hum Public Presentation

A reminder there is a public presentation of the team seeking the Mysterious Ranchlands Hum on Wednesday, Sep 28, 2011, 7:00 PM at the Ranchlands Community Center.

Press Release - Sep 20, 2011

----- PRESS RELEASE -----
CALGARY'S MYSTERIOUS RANCHLANDS HUM

Recent findings regarding the investigation into Calgary's Mysterious Ranchlands Hum will be presented Wednesday, September 28, 7:00 PM, at the Ranchlands Community Centre.

The Ranchlands Noise Investigation Team, a group of volunteers coordinated by Dana Negrey, have been donating significant time, equipment and money to determine the cause of the humming noise plaguing numerous Ranchlands residents. Since beginning the investigation in 2008, the team's Acoustical Engineer Richard Patching has recorded the Hum, having presented the evidence at the 2010 Ranchland's AGM.

The team, including Dr. Marcia Epstein, Dr. Kathleen Biersdoff, Dr. Mike Smith & Terry Avramenko and many other volunteers, has made additional findings. Most significant of these was a result of a June 8, 2011 test coordinated through the cooperation of The City of Calgary's Chris Huston & Alderman Gord Lowe. The Bearspaw Dam's main pump, a suspected source of the noise, has been ruled out as a source of the Hum.

The team continues to investigate other possibilities as to the cause of the Hum. Dana Negrey will present these at the September 28th AGM.

Increasingly, the team is receiving more and more reports from around the City of Calgary, and further abroad, suggesting this phenomenon extends beyond Ranchlands. The team believes that if the problem can be solved in the Ranchlands community, then the far-reaching benefits to other communities could be significant.

The team gratefully acknowledges the support of the Ranchlands Community Association, Alderman Gord Lowe, Chris Huston & his team, the many volunteers that have assisted in this investigation and members of the media following our story.

CONTACT INFORMATION:
Email: jmidi (at) hotmail (dot) com
Twitter: @jmidi
Facebook: Ranchlands Hum