It’s a pilot study by Les Aéroports de Montréal (ADM) to which Lachine Borough is formally opposed. Lachine’s officials intend to play a very active role in the next few weeks “in order to do everything possible to prevent ADM’s pilot study from happening.”

The population is concerned. A group of citizens calling themselves the “Regroupement Lachine pour une qualité de vie (RLQV)” led by Jean-Marc Hétu, former municipal councillor and ex-mayor of Lachine, have mobilized the last few weeks to manifest their opposition to this study. Mr. Hétu was categorical: “We have worked hard to improve our quality of life in Lachine so we’re not about to undo what we’ve just built. We will show zero tolerance for noise generated by planes that fly over our area”, declared the former teacher and politician who is now retired. He was quick to point out that this new citizens’ committee of which he is the spokesperson is strictly apolitical in nature.

Faced with an increasing number of complaints from residents, Borough Council has taken a public stand to express their dissatisfaction and opposition to this project. During the March 10 public meeting, Lachine Borough Mayor Claude Dauphin and his fellow council members adopted a resolution for “opposing any pilot projects by the Aéroports de Montréal for testing purposes and/or creating new air corridors over Lachine Borough.” Like elected officials of other municipalities located near the airport, Lachine’s officials are objecting particularly to the increasing number of night flights coming from Pierre-Elliott-Trudeau airport.

“Lachine residents were never really inconvenienced by noise produced by low-altitude planes over Lachine. That’s precisely the reason they chose to live here; we think that any changes to the present situation would not only affect their quality of life but also run the risk of de-valuing their properties. It is therefore imperative that we defend their rights by publicly opposing the project of Aéroports de Montréal” Mayor Dauphin told the Messager.

In 2007, 226 persons, of which 170 are new complainants, filed 1,252 complaints about the noise with the Consultation Committee of Pierre-Elliott-Trudeau airport that met last January. Half of these complaints were filed by five people and 80% of the complaints related to planes flying at night. The complaints come mainly from Cartierville (60%) and St. Laurent and Dorval (12% each). The new complaints are from Laval, Ahuntsic-Cartierville and St. Laurent (and maybe Lachine will be joining soon?).

In the meantime, Le Messager learned that a class action suit filed by another group of people regarding airplane noise was dismissed by the Court of Appeal on September 26 last year. The residents did not give up. They have filed a petition to have their case heard in the Supreme Court.