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Port Moody sends letter to NAV Canada stating their opposition to flight changes

By Patrick Penner, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

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February 2, 2023

flight-paths-coq-council — The historic flight paths from 2018 (blue) in comparison to the proposed flight paths (white) with plane elevation for flights landing in westerly winds. NAV Canada map.

The City of Port Moody has officially joined its sister cities in the chorus of disapproval regarding NAV Canada’s plans to change flight paths over the area.

Following the lead of Port Coquitlam, the city council sent a letter to NAV Canada on Jan. 31 stating its opposition to the proposed changes that would lead to increased air traffic over the Tri-Cities.

Concerns listed in the letter are a lack of demonstrated need for change, noise pollution, health impacts, impacts to land value, and a lack of transparency with regards to the methodology, outputs and assumptions in their noise modelling.

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“NAV CANADA’s proposed new flight paths include arrival approaches that would directly affect the Tri-Cities area, with the potential for more frequent flyovers and more noise pollution,” said Mayor Meghan Lahti.

“As a Council, we feel it’s important to advocate for the health and safety of our residents. Given the likelihood of negative effects for our community, we respectfully ask NAV CANADA to reconsider and look for other ways to meet their project goals.”

NAV Canada’s flight path changes are part of the Vancouver Airspace Modernization Project for arriving flights at YVR.

The non-profit started their public consultations about the proposed changes in last December, and the feedback period ends on Feb. 3.

Author

Patrick Penner, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

Having spent the first 20 years of his life in Port Moody, Patrick Penner has finally returned as a hometown reporter.

His youth was spent wiping out on snowboards, getting hit in the face with hockey pucks, and frolicking on boats in the Port Moody Arm.

After graduating Heritage Woods Secondary School, Penner wandered around aimlessly for a year before being given an ultimatum by loving, but concerned, parents: “rent or college.”

With that, he was off to the University of Victoria to wander slightly less aimlessly from book, to classroom, to beer, and back.

Penner achieved his undergraduate degree in 2017, majoring in political science and minoring in history.

To absolutely no one’s surprise, translating this newfound education into career opportunities proved somewhat challenging.

After working for a short time as a lowly grunt in various labour jobs, Penner’s fruitless drifting came to an end.

He decided it was time to hit the books again. This time, with focus.

Nine months later, Penner had received a certificate of journalism from Langara College and was awarded the Jeani Read-Michael Mercer Fellowship upon graduation.

When that scholarship led to a front page story in the Vancouver Sun, he knew he had found his calling.

Penner moved to Abbotsford to spend the next three years learning from grizzled reporters and editors at Black Press Media.

Assigned to the Mission Record as the city’s sole reporter, he developed a taste for investigative and civic reporting, eventually being nominated for the 2023 John Collison Investigative Journalism Award.

Unfortunately, dwindling resources and cutbacks in the community media sphere convinced Penner to seek out alternative ways to deliver the news.

When a position opened up at the Tri-Cities Dispatch, he knew it was time to jump ship and sail back home to beautiful Port Moody.