THE PUBLIC HEARING WILL BEGIN ON SEPTEMBER 14TH OF THIS YEAR

Québec, August 31, 2005 . – The commission of the Bureau d’audiences publiques sur l’environnement (BAPE), made up of Mr. Qussaï Samak, chairman, and Ms. Judy Gold, commissioner, is holding the first part of the public hearing on the project to improve ground transportation infrastructures near Montréal-Trudeau Airport . The public hearing will begin at 7:00 p.m.on September 14, 2005 and will be held at the Grand Salon Room of the Hilton Montreal Airport, located at 12505, Côte-de-Liesse in Montréal. The sessions will continue on the following days, depending on the needs of the public and the commission.

A HEARING IN TWO PARTS  

The public hearing will take place in two parts. In the presence of the proponent and resource persons invited to answer participants’ questions, the first part will allow the public and the commission to obtain information about the project in order to learn more about it and examine all its aspects.

2. Voicing opinions

During the second part of the public hearing that will begin at 7:00 p.m.on October 12, 2005 at the Diamant Room of the Holiday Inn Montreal Airport , located at 6500, Côte-de-Liesse in Montréal, the commission will obtain the public’s opinion and suggestions. The commission will hear any person, group, organization or municipality wishing to express an opinion on the project, be it in the form of a brief or an oral presentation.

The commission has a maximum period of four months to complete its mandate. The BAPE report will be submitted to Mr. Thomas J. Mulcair, Minister of Sustainable Development, Environment and Parks, by January 12, 2006 at the latest. Thereafter, the Minister will have 60 days to make the report public.

WHERE CAN PROJECT DOCUMENTATION BE CONSULTED?

You can consult the documents pertaining to the project at the BAPE office in Québec City , at the Central Library of Université du Québec à Montréal, as well as at the following locations:

• Dorval Municipal Library, 1401, Lakeshore Road , Montréal (with free Internet access);
• Dorval/L’Île- Dorval borough office, 60, Martin Avenue , Montréal.

You can also obtain details about the project by consulting the BAPE web site at the following address: www.bape.gouv.qc.ca.

For more information, feel free to contact Ms. Monique Gélinas, commission secretariat coordinator, or Ms. Louise Bourdages, communications advisor, by calling (418) 643-7447 or the following toll-free number: 1 800 463-4732. You can also get in touch with the commission by e-mail at the following address: acces-aeromtl@bape.gouv.qc.ca.

THE PROJECT

The ministère des Transports du Québec (MTQ) is proposing a complete overhaul of the Dorval interchange, composed of the Côte-de-Liesse interchange and the Dorval traffic circle, as well as creation of direct and bidirectional highway links. The new interchange would provide direct access to Montréal-Trudeau Airport and divide local road traffic from that transiting on Highway 20 by introducing ramps linking the airport to Highways 20 and 520. The project would also take into account a possible railway right-of-way linking the Montréal-Trudeau Airport sector to downtown Montréal, as well as public transit improvements. The estimated cost of the project is $133 million, excluding rail service, on a cost-sharing basis between the MTQ, the federal government and the Ville de Montréal, with participation by Aéroports de Montréal. The bulk of the proponent’s work would span 2007 to 2009.

WHAT IS THE BAPE?

The BAPE is a public information and consultation organization that allows citizens to express their views on a given project and to take part in the decision-making process, which may or may not lead to the authorization of a project. The BAPE carries out the mandates entrusted to it by the Minister of Sustainable Development, Environment and Parks, notably the public information and consultation mandate lasting 45 days, the public hearing mandate which may last up to 4 months, and the mediation mandate lasting about 2 months.

In response to the requests for a public hearing submitted to the Minister of Sustainable Development, Environment and Parks by citizens, groups, organizations or municipalities, the BAPE has been mandated to hold a public hearing on the project to improve ground transportation infrastructures near Montréal-Trudeau Airport.

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Source: Rosemary Al-Hayek
Communications Advisor
(418) 643-7447 or 1 800 463-4732
acces-aeromtl@bape.gouv.qc.ca