The federal budget has caught the eye of Les Pollués de Montréal-Trudeau citizen group, since the eventual sale of international airports (including Montreal-Trudeau and Montreal-Mirabel) is mentioned. The City of Montreal elected officials and those of the Montreal Metropolitan Community should be quite concerned by the eventual sale of this public infrastructure, given its strategic importance and impact on quality of life.
The position of the group Les Pollués de Montréal-Trudeau was clear in 2014 and is still the same: Montreal should purchase this infrastructure and insist on transparent management, along with a soundscape that is respectful of the citizens who live here.
The privatization of airports, if it is carried out along the lines of the federal outsourcing of the airport in the 1990s, will be a nightmare for citizens, with little chance of strict noise controls. For Montreal, 1996 to 2004 saw a concentration of international and charter flights to and from the Montreal-Trudeau airport, in addition to flights within Canada.
The consequence has been daily noise pollution from airplanes for thousands of people across the Island. A theoretical curfew has not been enforced at the airport, which has led to repeated sleep disruption and negative impacts on the health of thousands of people.