St-Hubert airport to uphold ban on night flights: federal court ruling
The Federal Court has dismissed Chrono Aviation's request for an injunction against a ban on night flights at the St-Hubert airport, ruling in favour of Canada's transport minister and DASH-L, according to a 20-page judgment handed down on Friday.
The court found that Chrono Aviation had not presented sufficient evidence to support its allegation of harm: "For nearly two years, Chrono Aviation has constantly repeated that the ban on night flights will force it into bankruptcy. But repeating an assertion does not make it true; nor does having it repeated by others," reads the judgment.
According to Chrono Aviation, Transport Canada's decision to ban night flights would paralyze its operations and jeopardize the Mary River mine, the food security of Inuit communities and the jobs created by their activities in Nunavut and Longueuil.
With regard to Chrono Aviation's assertion that the contract with Baffinland was renewed until Oct. 1, 2025, the court found that, "in all likelihood, the parties to the contract were aware of DASH-L's proposal to prohibit night flights at the time the renewal was concluded."
In these circumstances, the renewal of the contract for a limited period tends to indicate that Baffinland does not intend to terminate it immediately, but rather gives itself a period of a year and a half to assess the effects of a ban on night flights", the court ruled.
On the question of public interest, the court found that "Chrono Aviation has not demonstrated that the inconveniences it would suffer outweigh the public interest in reducing the noise associated with Boeing 737-200 take-offs and landings at night at Saint-Hubert airport."
Longueuil satisfied
Reacting to the ruling rejecting Chrono Aviation's request for an injunction, Longueuil Mayor Catherine Fournier was pleased that the Federal Court had put the public interest of citizens first.
"In his decision, the judge determined that the decision of the Minister of Transport, which had been requested and supported by the City of Longueuil since my election in November 2021, favoured the public interest of the citizens of Longueuil, and that this interest had to prevail, at this stage, over those of the company," she says.
"As mayor," she adds, "I am delighted with this court decision, which is yet another victory for the people of Longueuil. We now call on Chrono Aviation to comply with the ruling."
Denis Trudel, the MP for Longueuil—Saint-Hubert, said he is delighted with Judge Sébastien Grammond's decision: "For the respect of citizens, Chrono must adapt or leave. That's what citizens asked for during my public consultation, so that's my position."
At the time of publication, Le Courrier du Sud had not yet received a reaction from Chrono Aviation.
In February 2023, the City of Longueuil and DASH-L, the airport operator, agreed to ban night flights at Saint-Hubert airport.
- This report by Le Courrier du Sud / The Local Journalism Initiative was first published in French on April 19, 2023
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'A beautiful soul': Funeral held for baby boy killed in wrong-way crash on Highway 401
A funeral was held on Wednesday for a three-month-old boy who died after being involved in a wrong-way crash on Highway 401 in Whitby last week.
Police handcuff man trying to enter Drake's Toronto mansion
Toronto police say a man was taken into custody outside Drake's Bridle Path mansion Wednesday afternoon after he tried to gain access to the residence.
U.S. presidential candidate RFK Jr. had a brain worm, has recovered, campaign says
Independent U.S. presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. had a parasite in his brain more than a decade ago, but has fully recovered, his campaign said, after the New York Times reported about the ailment.
Blind Sask. boy heading to international braille competition hopes to increase accessibility for visually impaired
A Saskatchewan boy who qualified for an international braille competition in Los Angeles next month hopes he can inspire change in his home province.
'A step forward': New screening criteria for sperm donors takes effect
Canadians looking to grow their families with the assistance of sperm or egg donations should soon have more options for donors as the federal health agency does away with longstanding restrictions criticized as discriminatory.
Ontario Provincial Police arrest 64 suspects in child sexual exploitation investigation
Ontario Provincial Police say 64 suspects are facing a combined 348 charges in connection with a series of child sexual exploitation investigations that spanned the province.
What is whooping cough and should Canadians be concerned as Europe declares outbreak?
There is currently a whooping cough epidemic in Europe, with 10 times as many cases compared to the previous two years. While an outbreak has not been declared nationwide in Canada, whooping cough is regularly detected in the country.
Pfizer agrees to settle more than 10K lawsuits over Zantac cancer risk: Bloomberg News
Pfizer has agreed to settle more than 10,000 lawsuits about cancer risks related to the now discontinued heartburn drug Zantac, Bloomberg News reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the deal.
Steve Albini, legendary producer for Nirvana, the Pixies and an alternative rock pioneer, dies at 61
Steve Albini, an alternative rock pioneer and legendary producer who shaped the musical landscape through his work with Nirvana, the Pixies, PJ Harvey and more, has died. He was 61.