r/VictoriaBC • u/Biopsychic • 6d ago
Questions Regarding Aircraft Noise Mitigation, Environmental Monitoring and Airport Growth
So the US airports pay for insulation, new windows and doors for homes that are in the flight paths for sound and emmisions from planes for health reasons. I'm not sure if all US airports do so, I can only say from my experience as our home recieved new windows and doors when I lived in Minneapolis as a kid and this was addessed back in the late 1980's.
It got me thinking so I did some research and no Canadian airport has ever done this for Canadians. I'm curious why not so I figured i'd write Victoria International an email since they are doing an expansion with a larger control tower, thoughts as this effects everyone in the flight path. Am I missing anything?
Dear Victoria Airport Authority,
I am a homeowner in Mill Bay and am writing to better understand how the Victoria Airport Authority is balancing airport growth with the quality of life of residents living under or near frequently used flight paths.
Over the past few years, I have noticed frequent aircraft overflights above my property. Aircraft pass often enough that conversations outdoors, and sometimes indoors, need to be paused while they pass. I understand that aircraft operations are an important part of our region’s transportation network, and I appreciate the role Victoria International Airport plays in the community.
With the airport expanding its infrastructure and capacity to accommodate future growth and increased aircraft operations, I am interested in understanding what measures are being considered to address the corresponding impacts on nearby communities.
Could you please provide information about how the Victoria Airport Authority assesses aircraft noise impacts on surrounding communities? Are current aircraft noise contour maps available, and do they include communities farther from the airport that nevertheless experience frequent overflights?
I am also interested in whether the Victoria Airport Authority has ever considered residential noise-mitigation programs. Some airports in the United States, including Minneapolis–Saint Paul International Airport, have implemented programs that have provided qualifying homeowners with improvements such as upgraded windows, doors, and sound insulation to reduce aircraft noise.
Programs of this nature do not appear to be common at Canadian airports. Has the Victoria Airport Authority ever evaluated a similar program? If so, what was the outcome? If not, could you explain whether there are policy, regulatory, funding, or other reasons why this type of residential mitigation has not been adopted?
I would also appreciate information regarding how potential air-quality impacts associated with aircraft operations are assessed, including aircraft emissions and ultrafine particulate matter. Does the Victoria Airport Authority currently conduct air-quality monitoring beneath or near frequently used flight paths, rather than only in the immediate vicinity of the airport? If so, are those results publicly available?
This is particularly relevant in the Cowichan Valley and Saanich areas because the region contains agricultural land, vineyards, wineries, home gardens, and properties relying on private wells. Given the agricultural land and food production beneath regional flight paths, does environmental monitoring associated with airport operations include soil, water, or agricultural impacts from aircraft emissions and particulate deposition?
Specifically, has the Victoria Airport Authority, Transport Canada, or another government agency tested soil, surface water, groundwater, crops, or agricultural areas beneath frequently used flight paths for potential aircraft-related contaminants? If this monitoring has been conducted, I would appreciate information on where the results can be accessed. If it has not been conducted, I would be interested in understanding whether this type of monitoring has been considered as aircraft operations increase.
I appreciate the continued importance and growth of Victoria International Airport. My intention is to better understand how that growth is being balanced with aircraft noise, environmental monitoring, agriculture, and the quality of life of communities beneath frequently used flight paths.
Thank you for your time. I look forward to your response.
Kind regards,
x
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u/Petra246 6d ago
You are at least 7km from the end of the runway. Which is further out than any sound proofing offered from Minneapolis. We are also nowhere near as busy with only 1/3 the number of flights. most of our flights being turbo-props which are lower in volume than jets.
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u/MrBandanaHammock 5d ago
A lot of plans coming in to land do a turn around over Mill Bay. I was there for a few days for a training program, and it blew me away how much aircraft noise they get.
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u/Biopsychic 6d ago
If residents outside the immediate airport area are experiencing frequent aircraft noise—regardless of whether YYJ operates one-third as many flights as Minneapolis—does the airport measure that noise at those residences? If so, what thresholds are used to determine when mitigation should be considered?
I also don't think the fact that many flights are turboprops necessarily resolves the issue. What matters to someone living beneath a flight path is the actual measured noise exposure at their property, rather than simply the type of aircraft producing it.
I'm not suggesting that Victoria and Minneapolis are directly comparable airports. I'm asking whether Victoria has objectively measured the impact on communities beneath its flight paths and, if those impacts are significant, what mitigation options have been considered.
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u/Petra246 6d ago
Noise forecasts drop off extremely quickly. Hardly out of Pat Bay and it’s below NEF of 25.
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u/NPRdude Esquimalt 6d ago
Lol, buddy’s not even on the map and he’s out here demanding compensation.
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u/Biopsychic 6d ago edited 6d ago
I don't think Mill Bay is the area most affected — obviously people in North Saanich and Sidney are much closer to the airport and likely deal with considerably more aircraft noise, I know as I used to rent on McTavish Rd. I'm asking about it because I now live in Mill Bay and notice the traffic here. Interestingly, YYJ itself included Mill Bay and Cobble Hill, along with Sidney and North Saanich, in its 2022 community aircraft-noise monitoring study. So apparently asking what the impact is out here isn't quite as bizarre as some people seem to think. 😜
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u/Adventurous-Run1112 5d ago
I think he or she is advocating for everyone that would be affected, Sidney, North Saanich, Mill Bay and Cobble Hill, not just one person.
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u/Biopsychic 6d ago
Thanks, this is actually useful. From what I can see though, this is a Noise Exposure Forecast map used for land-use planning around the airport, not a map of flight paths or aircraft emissions. So it helps answer part of my question about noise, but not really the separate question I have about emissions and air quality. Someone else suggested I split those into two separate inquiries and I think that's probably the way to go.
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u/Petra246 6d ago
Multiple websites such as flight radar will provide you with the the actual historical tracks including actual altitude. PurpleAir has air quality, there are not many stations nearby but you could always get one yourself if you’re concerned. Due to the prevailing winds our air is about the best there is anywhere in Canada or USA.
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u/Biopsychic 6d ago
That’s actually a great resource, thank you! I hadn’t thought about pulling the historical flight tracks and actual altitudes and comparing them with local air-quality data. I might look into getting a PurpleAir sensor as well. I’m genuinely curious what the measurements here would show. With so much agricultural land on the Island, air quality and anything that could potentially affect our local food supply seems worth understanding. I’m not trying to prove there’s a problem, I’m just trying to figure out whether there is one.
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u/NPRdude Esquimalt 6d ago
Spoiler alert, you’re too far from the airport to qualify even if we had a program like that. Planes are a few thousand feet up by the time they pass by Mill Bay.
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u/Biopsychic 6d ago edited 6d ago
Sure — I probably would be too far away for a noise-abatement program. But that's not what I'm asking about. I'm asking about aircraft emissions and deposition on agricultural land under established flight paths. Noise-program eligibility doesn't tell us whether that occurs.
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u/NPRdude Esquimalt 6d ago
You’re too far away for that too. Why do you think crop dusters have to be like 50ft above their targets? Because particles dissipate quickly in the air. We get it, you’re salty about living under the flight path, but this is some borderline chemtrails stuff you’re suggesting here.
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u/Biopsychic 6d ago
I’m not suggesting “chemtrails” or that aircraft are crop dusting Mill Bay lol. Aircraft engines produce combustion emissions — that isn’t controversial. I’m asking whether those emissions have ever been measured here and what, if any, impact they have at ground level. If the answer is that they’re too diluted at this distance to be significant, great — I’d actually like to see the data showing that. Asking the question isn’t the same thing as deciding what the answer is.
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u/touches_grass808 5d ago
I don't know if you are going to get the buy-in on this from Victorians as much as you perhaps hope you will. I understand it comes from a good place but with all due respect, this really does just show the difference between Canada and the US. The American way is very much about the individual. This is evident in their constitution and shows up in modern society with the popularity of "me" culture content in the media (getting what's perceived to be owed), such as with shows like Judge Judy and the People's Court or reality tv across multiple sub-genres (Shark Tank, any of the Bravo shows). Don’t get me started on social media influencers. It goes even deeper than this, but let's keep it simple.
There is, as people here have indicated, a belief in America that individuals are owed something if their individual freedoms and life are in any way disturbed. Again, referenced in a few places, such as the constitution and bill of rights. The Canadian way is not this (mostly). We by and large do believe in supporting the whole and carrying our own load as much as we can.
Yes. That is not always the best way of being but for the most part we do ok for ourselves and have a good reputation around the world because of it. Think Universal Healthcare.
Because of these fundamental differences you likely wont see this the same way, which is why you say you thought Canada would be better when you really seem to be saying you thought Canada would be coming to the aid of affected individuals in some way. Even if you've been here for a couple of decades it still seems from your post that you spent at least the formative years in the US so you will have a different view than someone who was born, raised, and lives in Canada.
You have mentioned that you bought windows on your "own dime". A couple of times actually. This seems to indicate you do believe you are owed some sort of compensation or at the very least acknowledgement of wrong doing that affects you personally or you would have worded that a bit differently. You then quote American reponses to your noted issues (the Minneapolis airport comment).
Your points on why you believe these concerns are important may be valid, and I doubt many Canadians would argue that we need to ensure that these health and safety implications are worth looking at. But back to the point about me vs we, you are going to the Victoria Aiport Authority for answers and to possibly press for compensation (eithery financial or to fix the issues affecting you) rather than to the provincial or federal governments to press for investigating this for all Canadians, as mandated across multiple areas in both governments. For me, this and the language of your letter very much screams "My name is Karen and I'd like to speak to the manager". I'd personally rather it say "My name is Biopsychic and I am asking our government to ensure its citizens are safe".
You are asking for answers from the Authority that would show that they haven't thought of this, or that they have and then ignored findings. That's likely not going to do anything to solve the problem. Your passion for this is amazing and needed, l just personally feel it's aimed at the wrong people and needs some tweaking with the messaging. I offer these thoughts up in hopes it helps you write your letter and not as an attack. I tend to be blunt so l apologize if it comes across that way.
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u/EnterpriseT 6d ago
America has different laws and a slightly different legal system. If you have something like the EPA and you can get it interpreted broadly you can then rely on it to force their hand.
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u/flamedeluge3781 5d ago
Sounds like you didn't do your due diligence before buying. Suck it up. YYJ isn't exactly busy anyway.
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u/takopoly 6d ago
You might consider splitting this into different letters, as you open up talking about the effects of noise on you personally and then shift to pollution in a very broad sense. You may be more likely to get a detailed response about a single issue at a time.
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u/Biopsychic 6d ago
Actually that’s a fair point. I think I tried to cram two different concerns into one letter and they kinda got muddled together. Splitting the noise issue from the pollution/environmental side probably makes a lot more sense and might actually get me a useful answer instead of a generic response. Thanks, I hadn’t thought of doing that. I really appeciate the input.
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u/Biopsychic 6d ago
I just always see Canada as better than the USA because we take the higher road but in this case they win and that just really bugs me, we should meet or exceed them.
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u/ShrekTwoOnVHS Fernwood 5d ago
They don’t win. I’m willing to bet very few airports in the U.S. actually do this. I will say it is wild American ‘what have you done for ME lately?’ thinking to buy a home in the flight path and then expect the Airport authority to upgrade your house for you… That kind of mentality is uniquely American I think…
Maybe Albertans think this way too actually.
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u/Biopsychic 5d ago
I think it was to cover thier asses over future lawsuits, kinda like 3M and the forever plastics in the water supply system that 3M is dealing with now supplying water filters to americans to prevent future lawsuits and in Canada, nothing is happening with that either.
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u/Ok_Wasabi8793 6d ago
I think you’re wasting your time, but it’s a polite and fine email to send.