Oshawa Mayor reminds residents noise abatement measures at airport not in city’s control

Oshawa Mayor Dan Carter, while acknowledging the city’s commitment of “open dialogue” with the public on the polarizing noise abatement issue at the Oshawa Executive Airport, is reminding residents that the ultimate decision on those measures is “not within the city’s control.”

“While a key component of our long-term vision is balancing the quality of life of our residents with the economic benefits of the airport, aviation is a federally-regulated industry and a number of matters at the Oshawa Executive Airport are not within the City’s control,” Carter said in a public statement today. “This includes the implementation of noise abatement measures, which require final approval from Transport Canada.”

Nearby residents in Oshawa and in Whitby have been expressing concerns about the noise from the airport for years, with public complaints spiking this year. There have been six times as many complaints in 2021 than there were a decade or so ago in fact, while the actual traffic at the airport has increased only about 25 per cent.

Three-quarters of all flights at the airport are for flight training, another sore point among the neighbours.

The Mayor said the airport is a “significant engine” for economic growth in Oshawa and Durham Region, adding that the City is committed to its operation until 2047.

Oshawa hosted a series of virtual workshops recently, with 100 residents and 80 airport users registered to provide input and 370 feedback forms completed online.

“As a City, we have made considerable effort to keep our community members consistently informed of airport-related matters while providing them with ongoing opportunities to give feedback on airport initiatives that may affect them,” Carter said.

The Mayor also thanked local MPs Ryan Turnbull, Colin Carrie and Erin O’Toole for their efforts in advocating for noise abatement measures.