Transport committee  Yes, absolutely.

Transport committee  I would say no. I agree.

Transport committee  From what I've seen at the community meetings and the facts that have come up is that further to Borys's comment, you have lack of oversight. Profitability is dictating this whole thing. They are trying to pay down a $5-billion debt by taking business from other areas. I think Hamilton still is a cargo hub.

Transport committee  Certainly we need to have a conversation, and when we talk about airports being too far or too close and the centres of communities, if you look at the major centres such as Chicago, you see O'Hare and Midway. They're an hour apart, two hours in traffic. Toronto is the same way.

Transport committee  I can add why it doesn't exist: It's because Pearson or the GTAA will fight any expansion into Hamilton because they don't own Hamilton. They get eliminated from those landing and takeoff rights. If the traffic goes to Hamilton, then that $5-billion debt becomes $6 billion.

Transport committee  I'll add to that very briefly. Again I refer to the Helios study, which each one of the members should read. It's a public study. They made a recommendation of different landing approaches for aircraft. Right now they do a very slight slope down, whereas Helix said there's another way.

Transport committee  Yes, absolutely I agree 110%.

Transport committee  Yes, I have a comment on that as well. Your description of “facade”—I think I agree with the previous speaker—is accurate. That noise committee, when you look at the members of it—and I've met some of them—are from Whitby, Ajax and Scarborough, many areas far away from the GTAA.

Transport committee  I agree. It's all about income for them. It's not about people and health and whatever else. That doesn't play into it.

Transport committee  This idea came from both the GTAA and Helios, which was a consultant that GTAA hired to study noise. Noise sharing is a method whereby you take problem areas of the GTAA, meaning the east-west runways, and you share that noise. All of a sudden the north-south runways, which are far closer to the airport, get their share of the noise.

Transport committee  Well, I think so. They wouldn't be much of a real estate agent if they didn't.

Transport committee  Mitigating that would mean decreased property values. At this point, we would be sitting here talking about noise and people's net worth and value as a result of making it public in a listing. Most real estate agents know where the flight paths are in Toronto, for example. It's the same thing with Montreal, and I'm sure Calgary—

Transport committee  With all due respect, Mr. Hardie, I invite you to my home when we have night flights. You tell me whether or not any noise suppression can drown out an aircraft and shaking windows, etc. Markland and the other areas around the airport were there as communities before the airport expanded.

Transport committee  If you don't mind, I can be the first to answer that. It's very simple, sir. Hamilton airport can offload some of the traffic that the GTAA is currently experiencing. Hamilton has been, and still is, a cargo hub for certain carriers, such as UPS, etc. The GTAA has been outbidding Hamilton airport for their business, and they've been winning business as a result.

Transport committee  Madam Chair and honourable members of the committee, thank you for having me appear before you today. I'm very pleased that this committee has chosen to study this important topic, which applies to Canadians across the country living in close proximity to airports. Airport noise is the first thing people notice, complain about or discuss on the subject of nearby airports.