Ontario city mystified by mysterious hum

August 16, 2011 – WINDSOR — For months, residents of south and west Windsor have been wondering and worrying about vibrations of unknown origin. And now, those mysterious rumblings under the city have found a new believer — the city’s Ward 10 Coun. Al Maghnieh, who says it’s time to start taking the phenomenon seriously. “It’s very present and real,” he said. Maghnieh added that those who think the phenomenon is a joke or that its proponents are “crazy” need to grasp the implications in terms of health and the environment. “I mean, it’s actually scary to think that this is going on and we still can’t pinpoint what it is,” he said. This is potentially very dangerous.” Maghnieh said he first started receiving calls from concerned citizens back in March. But it wasn’t until the early hours of Friday morning — when he’d arranged to visit the homes of rumble witnesses — that he experienced the sensation himself. “It’s a very sharp, consistent rumble sound,” Maghnieh said. “Sometimes it’s like a hum.” The city councillor said that at one point, he put a half-full water bottle on the ground and could see the vibrations causing ripples on the water’s surface. At another point, he could hear the aluminum siding of a house rattle due to the vibrations. “It was very obvious. It was very evident,” Maghnieh said. “It sent shivers up my spine.” Maghnieh said he’s so far received about two dozen calls and a half-dozen emails from different people in his ward with complaints about the rumble. When he followed up on some of the recent reports, two homeowners agreed to let him on their properties and investigate. The time period between 1 a.m. and 3 a.m. was chosen because that’s when the vibrations are reportedly the most distinct. “I don’t know if it’s stronger then or not. Maybe it’s just because it’s quieter outside,” Maghnieh said. Although the Ministry of the Environment has studied the matter and has ruled out industrial sources, Maghnieh said there needs to be further and fuller investigation. “You can’t have hundreds of people just imagining these things,” Maghnieh said. “We need resources. We need co-operation. We need somebody assigned to this.” Now Maghnieh is preparing a map of his ward to track the location of the rumblings, with radii indicating where the rumblings have been the strongest. –The Gazette