People in a small town northeast of Montreal have said no to a new airport.
The plan was put to a referendum in St-Roch-de-l'Achigan, where residents voted overwhelmingly – 96 per cent – against the plan.
Mayor Yves Prud'homme said he has no choice but to respect the vote.
"We live in a democracy here," he said, adding that he's urging federal Transport Minister Marc Garneau – who has final say over the project – to do the same.
"Obviously I take note of the referendum that occurred yesterday. I'm also awaiting the report from the promoter who wants to put this in place, and we will, during the period of 30 days after receiving the promoter's report, look at the question before making any final decision," said Garneau.
If approved, a 35-hectare piece of land along Highway 25 will become the Aerodrome SRA. It would see more than 200 take-offs and landings every day, with runways just a few kilometres from St-Roch-de-l'Achigan.
"It's basically going to be a marina for people who have small planes and have the money to own a small plane – that's the type of people we're going to have coming here," said Alexandre Caron, who operates nearby Horizon Campground, with over 180 full-time sites.
People who stay at his campground are drawn to the area because of the peace and quiet, he said, adding that many have already told him that if the airport goes in, they'll be moving out.
