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YOUR SOURCE FOR LOCAL SPORTS, NEWS, WEATHER AND ENTERTAINMENT! WWW.DELTA-OPTIMIST.COM The Voice of Delta since 1922 SATURDAY, DECEMBER 18, 2010
Chief for a Day has some fun in his new role PHOTOS BY
CHUNG CHOW
Port Guichon Elementary student Wesley Brush, 11, was this year’s Fire Chief for a Day. As part of his day as honourary chief, Wesley’s itinerary on Wednesday included breakfast at McDonald’s with chief Dan Copeland and Mayor Lois Jackson, a tour of Hall 1 and Hall 7, a vehicle extrication and rescue demonstration, and an equipment inspection. See more photos on Page 19.
Complaints as noisy as planes Councillor says YVR’s efforts to reduce aircraft noise are paying dividends, although some would disagree BY
SANDOR GYARMATI
sgyarmati@delta-optimist.com
The Vancouver International Airport is making noticeable efforts to minimize airplane noise from disturbing South Delta residents, said Coun. Robert Campbell. “I live in the same neighbourhood as these letter writers. I’m going to stick my neck out and say I do not share their experience,” he said during a presentation by YVR officials. Campbell said noise from YVR over the last few years has, in fact, diminished thanks to initiatives that have been undertaken. “I think YVR should be commended for its job on this issue and when I’ve heard complaints the first thing I do is go on WebTrak and look it up and some of these things I just can’t understand how there’s a real complaint
in there. “I understand some people are more sensitive to noise than others, but I’m satisfied everyone is doing their best to manage those issues and I personally find I hear less airplane noise than I did five, six years ago. I don’t hear it in the middle of the night like I used to. I don’t hear it in the morning.” During the presentation to council, Anne Murray, YVR’s vice-president of community and environmental affairs, and aircraft noise and emissions specialist Mark Chang explained some of the initiatives underway to decrease noise from jet aircraft flying over residential areas. Transport Canada approved the airport’s five-year noise manage-
ment plan last year, which contains 16 initiatives put together with input from an aeronautical noise management committee that includes a Delta resident and civic staff member. Chang pointed out the airport has “a very sophisticated” noise tracking system with 20 monitoring terminals. Four new terminals were added last year, including one in Tsawwassen, joining two existing sites in North Delta. The airport also recently acquired a portable noise monitoring device that was used this summer in parts of South Surrey and North Delta as well as Vancouver. The equipment was most recently set up in Ladner and that data will be analyzed early next year, noted
Chang. Meantime, a new facility will soon open to reduce noise from nighttime maintenance work on aircraft testing their engines at the airport. Yet another initiative, which began this year at YVR, noted Chang, is quarterly noise information seminars that are free to the public. Regarding the ongoing concerns over overhead aircraft disturbing South Delta residents at night, Coun. Anne Peterson said there had been a previous discussion between council and YVR about flights taking place between 11 p.m. and 6 a.m., the time most cargo planes depart or land. Noting YVR is a 24/7 operation, Chang said nighttime routings are in effect for pilots. One of the measures in place is a preferential runway system to ensure pilots take advantage of
Robert Campbell Noise has diminished flying over the water as much as possible during the night hours, he explained. “Wind and weather permitting, we want to keep as much traffic out over the Strait of Georgia as much as possible,” said Chang. See NOISE page 3