Montreal, April 29 2015 – A delegation of the citizens’ committee Les Pollués de Montréal-Trudeau met this afternoon with the Bloq Quebecois leader Mario Beaulieu to raise the issue of the very serious aircraft noise pollution a large section of the population of Montreal has been subjected to over the last few years, due to changes in air traffic management by NAV Canada and the failure of Aéroports de Montreal (ADM) and Transport Canada to intervene. On April 17, a similar meeting took place with the NDP leader Thomas Mulcair.
Today’s meeting allowed residents of the boroughs of Villeray-Saint-Michel-Parc Extension and Ahuntsic-Cartierville to explain to M. Beaulieu that they have suffered a significant drop in their quality of life, caused by the transition to low altitudes of aircraft taking off and landing at Montreal-Trudeau Airport, as well as the significant increase in night flights.
They also drew attention to the fact that they are completely ignored by ADM, which denies that changes to aircraft trajectories have occurred over the last few years, and even claims that there has never been a curfew in effect following the transfer of international flights from Mirabel to Dorval in 1998.
They also reported to Mr. Beaulieu that last Monday April 27, the Mount Royal Town Council, like the Villeray borough council two months earlier, adopted a resolution demanding a curfew at Montreal-Trudeau airport as well as noise mitigation measures during the day, and a seat on the Advisory Committee for Soundscape Mangement of Aeroports de Montreal (ADM).
Justin Trudeau
Les Pollués de Montréal-Trudeau are now waiting for a response from Justin Trudeau, Liberal Party leader and MP for Papineau, a riding which is severely affected by aircraft noise pollution.
Eventually, they would also like to meet with Denis Lebel, lieutenant of the Conservative Party in Quebec.
“The election campaign that is emerging at the federal level is a good time to discuss the management of the Montreal-Trudeau Airport,” said Antoine Bécotte, president of Les Pollués de Montréal-Trudeau. “This file concerns Transport Canada, which must now intervene to force ADM to respect the citizens of Montreal whose quality of life is deteriorating because of poor environmental management.”
About Les Pollués de Montréal-Trudeau
A group of citizens in northern Montreal incorporated as a nonprofit organization in the summer of 2013, the main demands of Les Pollués de Montréal-Trudeau are a review of landing and take-off protocols at the Montreal-Trudeau Airport with the objective of raising altitude levels of aircraft flying over the island of Montreal, and the application of a strict curfew between 11 pm and 7 am.
I’m wondering if the citizens of St. Laurent have any say. After all they are directly underneath the flightpaths and with the increase in night flights it is unbearable in the open window season.
I’m wondering if the citizens of St. Laurent have any say. After all they are directly underneath the flightpaths and with the increase in night flights it is unbearable in the open window season.