New flight plans leave Coquitlam council speechless with gratitude

When it comes to airplane noise, Coquitlam council liked what they were hearing.

With more planes flying into YVR and a plan pitched in 2023 to have more of those planes passing over the Tri-Cities, residents and elected officials across the region voiced concerns over noise pollution.

However, following community outcry, NAV Canada has amended those plans, keeping some planes over Burrard Inlet for longer and turning other planes “before they even get to Coquitlam,” explained NAV Canada director of industry relations Jonathan Bagg.

When planes are over the Tri-Cities, they won’t be lowering flaps or landing gear, resulting in less drag and reducing sound intensity by one-to-three decibels, Bagg explained during a presentation to Coquitlam council on Monday.

Overall, the new flight paths will tend to follow the old flight paths, he said.

“The biggest source of change for this region is actually not going to change. We’ve decided to find a way to make it work,” he said.

The previous plan included many flights dipping to 5,000 feet over the southern stretch of the Tri-Cities before turning toward Richmond.

While residents will hear some planes overhead as aircrafts are separated for safety reasons, the noise impacts will largely be mitigated, according to Bagg.

The last time Bagg appeared in council chambers, all nine elected officials wanted to speak to him, Coun. Dennis Marsden noted on Monday.

“This time, you’ve got zero,” Marsden said.

Marsden thanked NAV Canada for deviating from the previous plan, which he said felt like a “fait accompli” when it was first pitched.

“Thank you for listening to our nearly 800 Coquitlam residents that spoke up. Thank you to them.”

Mayor Richard Stewart concurred, noting government agencies are frequently criticized for going through the motions of consultation without really listening.

“It is evident that our residents were listened to, that our council was listened to,” Stewart said. “A lot of people, I suspect, will be still jaded, but less jaded because of the actions of NAV Canada.”