The mysterious, low-frequency noise that has plagued the city of Windsor for nearly a decade has finally quieted down after a steel factory just outside neighbouring Detroit halted its operations indefinitely.
The mysterious, low-frequency noise that plagued the city of Windsor for nearly a decade has finally quieted down after a steel factory just outside neighbouring Detroit halted its operations indefinitely.
The so-called “Windsor Hum” has been the subject of intense speculation by governments and journalists on both sides of the Canada-U.S. border since 2011, when an investigation by the Canadian government first documented its existence.
Although the origin of the hum was initially up for debate, research in recent years pinpointed the culprit as a U.S. Steel facility on Zug Island, just across the river from Windsor’s west end.
At the end of last year, U.S. Steel announced it would be significantly scaling back operations at its Great Lakes facilities — including Zug Island — starting on April 1, citing a need to stay competitive in a changing market.
According to Colin Novak, the lead researcher on Canada’s 2013 flagship study into the hum, the noise has practically vanished since the decision to idle the plant was made.
“There’s no reports that I am aware