NDG/Lachine Candidates pledge to stand up to ADM

Four of the five federal elections candidates running in the NDG/Lachine riding, which encompasses parts of Dorval, all told The Chronicle they were well aware of ongoing local disputes with the Pierre-Elliot Trudeau International airport over green space encroachment and night flight noise pollution yesterday night after a public debate.

"The Dorval golf club was a jewel of a green space," said Conservative candidate Carmine Pontillo, adding he would like to see it returned to its 32-hole status.

A municipally run golf club, Golf Dorval is situated on a piece of land owned by Aéroports de Montréal which the latter had leased to the city. The airport recently reclaimed part of the land for what it deems to be pertinent expansion projects, but environmentalist groups cry foul, stating it is a green space that needs to be preserved.

"I feel very strongly about that," Pontillo said, blaming previous Liberal governments for letting the airport expand unchecked.

However, if he were elected, Pontillo would have to face a Conservative cabinet that, at least in so far, has backed the airport in its expansion. Last November, a federal Ministry of Transport spokesperson told The Chronicle the airport has free reign to expand on the territory.

As for night flights, which in a council resolution the city of Dorval asked the airport to repeal except in case of "emergency situations," Pontillo said he was well aware of the problem. "I live right under the flight paths," he said, but added the need for night flights is understandable, given the airport is an important source of revenue for Dorval too. "We have to try to find a balanced approach," he said.

Green Party candidate Jessica Gal was more categorical in her condemnation of the airport. "First of all, we absolutely need to end the night flights," she said. To her, the night flight and airport expansion problems are inter-related. "If we moved back a lot of the flights to Mirabel," she said, "it would remove the justification to expand."

Local NDP hopeful Peter Deslauriers said airport authorities do fall under federal jurisdiction. "There is clearly a clash between profit on the one hand, and the needs of citizens on the other," he added.

He said certain environmental impact assessments were not properly conducted before the construction projects began. As an MP, he could at least do that, he said.

Deslauriers added the night flight noise problems were not only hazardous to citizen health, but also could cause home values in affected neighbourhoods to depreciate.

Bloc Québecois candidate Éric Taillefer advocated a return of flights to Mirabel, stating it was a mistake to abandon that airport.

Taillefer also said the Golf Dorval problem seemed to be one of "double jurisdictions" to him. Municipally, Golf Dorval is recognized as being part of Bertrand Stream, one of ten ecoterritories designated as such by the City of Montreal. Federally or provincially it is not recognized as green space.

Liberal incumbent Marlene Jennings left the debate before it was finished yesterday, but she has vocally condemned both the expansion of the airport on Golf Dorval and night flights to The Chronicle in the past.