Hilsinger welcomes his new neighbour with deafening hullabaloo (9 photos)

Helpfully providing earplugs for onlookers, J.J. Hilsinger today treated his new neighbour to the levels of industrial noise he says guests of his Water Tower Inn will soon be forced to endure.

As a Superior Signs crew prepared to mount a big KAL Tire sign on the building next door, Hilsinger drove up in an 18-wheeler and used an amplied sound system to blast city staff and councillors.

Hilsinger orated his frustrations atop a flatbed trailer, with hotel employees cheering him on.

Beneath him, tire technician Elliott Proulx used pneumatic tools to noisily change two of the trailer's tires.

"We won't back off," the hotelier said.

"The city writes reports and quotes dictionaries, all the time ignoring the many reasons that commercial tractor-trailers are referred to as heavy equipment. Outside repairs are noisy and should be located only in an industrial park area."

Hilsinger is angry at the city for not including transport trucks in its definition of heavy equipment in zoning requirements.

City Council should never allow a tire business servicing transports to disturb the sleep of hotel guests, he says.

"We stand strong and unmoved, Hilsinger said today outside his establishment.

"This city is simply transferring the role of policeman to us in this building. So we have to continually monitor violations so the city can escape the liability for their interpretations and processes," Hilsinger said.

"Please make your voices heard to force the city to respond with more accountability. Ask them why did this have to become such a mature issue when sensible thinking could have identified and circumvented the issue from the start, close to the beginning of the year?"