Question Period Note: Aerodrome Saint-Roch-de-l’Achigan

Relocation of the Mascouche aerodrome to a new site in the municipality of Saint-Roch-de-l'Achigan

• The safety and security of the transportation system are my top priorities.
• Transport Canada has been informed of the Saint-Roch-de-l'Achigan aerodrome proponent’s intention to continue to pursue the proposed aerodrome project.
• The department is currently reviewing new documents submitted by the proponent, including an acoustic study and a revised consultation report.
• Transport Canada will take the safety and security of the project as well as the public interest into account before rendering a decision on the proposal.

IF PRESSED

• The new documents submitted to Transport Canada seek to address the issues identified with the proponent’s summer 2019 consultation process.

• In April 2019, Transport Canada (TC) was officially informed of the proponent's intention to relocate the Mascouche aerodrome project to a new site in the municipality of Saint-Roch-de-l'Achigan.
• On August 29, 2019, on grounds of public interest, Minister Garneau issued a Ministerial Order prohibiting the aerodrome development as proposed in the proponent’s summary report dated August 12, 2019. Deficiencies identified in the consultation undertaken by the proponent and in the proposed aerodrome project, namely the lack of clarity regarding anticipated activities at the aerodrome and the impact of the noise footprint on the community, reinforced the need for the Minister to intervene. This decision was made pursuant to section 4.32 of the Aeronautics Act, which allows the Minister to prohibit the development of an aerodrome where the Minister is of the opinion that the proposed development is likely to adversely affect aviation safety or is not in the public interest.
• On November 12, 2019, the proponent informed TC that they carried out a new acoustic study. On November 18, 2019, they met with Saint-Roch de l'Achigan City Council and on November 25, 2019, the proponent met with other interested parties, including the Saint-Roch de l’Achigan Coalition, to present the results of the study. Their goal was to identify concerns and develop mitigation measures to recommend to TC. The proponent indicated that they would submit a revised copy of the summary report to TC following these meetings.
• On December 5, 2019, the proponent submitted a revised report to Transport Canada.

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