Jonathon Liedtke – ourWindsor.ca – May 10, 2012
I’ve remained quiet on the whole issue of the “Windsor Hum”. Quite frankly, for the amount of time which people claim it has been occurring, I believed that I would have heard it before. I spend the majority of my days scouring news sources, and the issue has been one which I’ve held close to my heart: it’s based in Windsor, it’s controversial, and it had the trappings of a mystery (an American-based company which refused to open its doors to investigators, and a city/state who refused to provide support).
It seemed as if Windsorites were left all alone. Well, not entirely alone, as the federal government has recognized that there is indeed, a hum. But for me, the reason why I found it so interesting was simply because I had not experienced it. It’s not that I thought that the people who heard the hum were lying or fabricating the truth, but I honestly believed that a lot of people were simply jumping on the bandwagon or misjudging another sound for the hum.
That was until last night. I have recently moved into an apartment in the downtown area, and was up late with a friend talking into the wee hours of the morning with the balcony doors open. And then it started.
It wasn’t so much a hum as it was a continued ultra low frequency bass which would resonate outward from Zug Island sporadically over the next two hours. With each ripple of sound (indeed, sound isn’t quite the correct choice of words: the hum is so low frequency it almost feels out of auditory range), an overwhelming burst of energy was sent forward. I could feel it rush across my torso, and if I focused close enough, at times, I could feel it vibrating in my ears.
At risk of sounding like a zealot, I have been converted.
Even further, it appears as if I’m not the newest person to have discovered the hum. A few weeks ago, the Wall Street Journal ran a story titled Canadians Make a Racket Over Mysterious ‘Windsor Hum’. Indeed, our Windsor hum has shifted from municipal affairs, to provincial, federal, and now it appears to have become international in scope. Does this mean that due to the added attention the hum will be solved speedily? Most likely not. However, it should give some solace to those severely plagued by the hum that their story has now been told throughout the world.
Opinion: My first encounter with the ‘Windsor Hum’ (ourwindsor.ca)
Jonathon Liedtke is the Features & Opinion Editor for the University of Windsor Lance Campus/Community Newspaper and a reporter for ourWindsor.ca. As a founding member and current Co-Chair of the Mayor’s Youth Advisory Committee, he is committed to representing, connecting, engaging with and advocating for local youth. He is also a member of Windsor’s “Punk with Horns” band The Nefidovs, and as such, is committed to enhancing and sustaining the arts community.
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