INFORMATION MEETING ABOUT THE NEW FLIGHT PATH PROPOSED BY ADM

Worried, those citizens turned spontaneously to Jean-Marc Hétu, a former mayor of Lachine before the merger, in order to know more about it, intervene with the borough council and to inquire about this rumour.

Mr. Hétu then learned that ADM had, in fact, met with the borough council in July 2007, with the intent of obtaining an authorization to introduce a new flight path, mainly for the early morning take-offs, in the hope of relieving Saraguay, Cartierville, the North of Saint-Laurent and Laval citizens, who were fed up with these new night aggressions. A year and a half ago, these citizens had a new flight path imposed upon them - over their residences - without any prior consultation or authorization, besides a tacit acknowledgement by the three mayors sitting on the Soundscape Consultative Committee, Alan De Sousa (Saint-Laurent), Edgar Rouleau (Dorval) and Bill McMurchie (Pointe-Claire).

RLCQV pioneers also learned with astonishment that the proposed path would go over Highway 13, then 32nd avenue South in the heart of the borough, before reaching Kahnawake and Châteauguay. Those pioneers immediately contacted representatives of “Citizens for a Quality of Life” (CQL) who have been opposing ADM’s unilateral decisions since 1996 and who have already unified all opponents living to the North and the West of the PET airport.

What they have learned about the tactics the ADM has used to reach its goals upset them a great deal. In-depth inquiries performed by CQL have allowed them to unveil the complete lack of transparency and the dupery of which ADM’s management has made itself guilty, with the tacit complicity of Transport Canada since 1996. From then on, RLCQV really took off and requested support from the borough council, who granted it on March 10.

RLCQV pioneers immediately sensed the trick ADM had orchestrated, by proposing such an unbelievable path, consisting of flying over the heart of the Lachine borough. ADM’s public relation advisors had, without any doubt, recommended that strategy to make believe, that, for the first time in its history, ADM had firmly turned to consulting with the citizens, while knowing very well that such an insane path would be rejected by the council. CQL’s researchers learned then that ADM management was about to propose a new path it considered more acceptable.

With this new path, ADM could pretend to have listened to the citizens’ representatives’ grievances. This path, after a sharp right turn from runway 06L/24R, would run over Highway 20 and then turn to the right along the Lachine/LaSalle borough limit, then aim toward Kanawake and Chateauguay, as for the former path.

Tests have been undertaken by ADM on the sly during the fall 2007, with success apparently. Everything indicates that ADM would now have us believe that, any flight over 2 500 feet in altitude, would not cause any nuisances to citizens. Should this be the case, ADM would certainly not bother consulting anyone. All of these damning events for ADM were sufficient to trigger RLCQV into joining the other groups who are now active under CQL’s banner.

It is in this new context that a mobilization of Lachine citizens has been organized through a strong demonstration, prior to attending the only public meeting ADM is obligated to hold. This meeting was held at the ICAO head office on May 8, 2008. Once again, in order to maximize its chances to avoid any dispute, ADM has knowingly orchestrated this meeting in downtown Montreal, far from where the affected citizens live and at a time of the day where most people are at work. In spite of this strategy, it is estimated that the number of demonstrators was between 220 and 235. The ADM managers were bombarded with questions whose answers were far from being comforting. Worries are now at their peak, since ADM’s president, James Cherry, admitted that nothing prevented this so-called private organization to proceed with the new flight path, even if the borough council were to object to it.

The time allowed for asking questions was way too short during the annual meeting and ADM strategically packed the room with accomplices who steadily intervened with their own servile questions.

As a result, RLCQV deemed it necessary to organize its own information meeting in Lachine and at a moment where the citizens are available, in order to allow, not only ADM but also the Transport Minister, responsible for the dossier and The NAV Canada president to answer all questions. A few representatives from other CQL affiliated groups, whose researchers have been active for many years, will also be available to reply to ADM’s claims and also answer citizens’ questions.