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A petition is calling on Transport Canada to prohibit the expansion of the Montreal-Trudeau Airport, as a group claims it will lead to more noise and air pollution. Pierre Lachapelle, the president of Les Pollués de Montréal-Trudeau, says that plans to add a new terminal and 10 gates at the international airport will only worsen noise pollution. “We acknowledged there is an airport in Montreal, but we want to be able to sleep at night,” said Lachapelle. “The issue for our group is our quality of life because for a number of years since the closing of Mirabel and this enlargement of the airport in Dorval, in the augmentation, the increase of the number of flights day and night, that’s the issue.” The petition states that airport authorities allow airplanes to travel over the city between 11 p.m. and 7 a.m., which Lachapelle says disrupts the sleep of thousands of Montrealers. He adds that noise from aircrafts results in risk to health, particularly in terms of cardiovascular diseases. “We believe that the construction without any impact assessment and any public consultation that our quality of life will diminish again and too much,” explained Lachapelle. The petition also suggests that increased air travel over Montreal will lead to more air pollution because of the accommodation of more planes and passengers. In a statement to CityNews, Transport Canada did not reply to questions about the petition, but said that strict requirements govern aircraft emissions and that airport authorities are required to assess a project to determine whether it is likely to cause significant adverse environmental effects. “There needs to be a substantial improvement in what we live with this airport. They are not behaving like good neighbours,” said Lachapelle. “It’s the job of our MPs and that’s why we call upon citizens to sign the petition, so we can put pressure. The election will be coming this year in 2025, so it’s the time to speak even louder to our MPs in Ottawa.” Earlier this year, Aéroports de Montréal (ADM), the authority for Trudeau airport, announced $4 billion in renovations — including a new terminal and new gates, expected to be completed by 2028. Since the closure of the Mirabel airport in 2004, concerns about noise and air pollution from aircraft have persisted, particularly in the densely populated neighborhoods surrounding YUL. ADM tells CityNews in a statement that it has pledged to maintain ongoing dialogue with the public and address the concerns raised by citizens. ADM has reiterated its commitment to managing the noise climate around Montreal-Trudeau International Airport (YUL) amidst ongoing legal proceedings and growing public concern over its expansion plans. In response to a lawsuit filed by a group of concerned citizens over noise pollution, ADM stated it would refrain from commenting further due to the active legal situation. However, the airport authority emphasized its dedication to balancing its role in the economic development of Greater Montreal with its responsibility to minimize disruption to local communities. “Soundscape management remains a priority for ADM,” officials said. “We strive to ensure a harmonious coexistence between the airport’s operations and the surrounding neighborhoods. Detailed information on our initiatives is available in our 2023 Soundscape Annual Report and throughout the airport’s public reports.” While the new developments aim to alleviate overcrowding, ADM reassured the public that an increase in passenger traffic would not result in a proportional rise in the number of flights. The airport explained that the number of aircraft movements at YUL has declined by 13% over the past decade, despite a significant rise in passenger numbers. Technological advancements, such as more efficient aircraft and higher load factors, have contributed to this reduction in flight frequency. Airlines are also expected to continue upgrading their fleets, further reducing noise and greenhouse gas emissions in the coming years. In addition to its expansion plans, ADM has taken steps to address noise concerns through its 2019-2023 Soundscape Management Action Plan. The authority has worked on developing new operational scenarios, which focus on restricting flights based on noise certification levels rather than aircraft weight. These proposed changes, which would implement stricter noise restrictions during certain hours, aim to mitigate noise pollution by prioritizing quieter aircraft during night and early morning hours. The proposal includes a designated period of no scheduled flights from 1:00 a.m. to 6:00 a.m., a measure intended to reduce nighttime noise disturbances. ADM has conducted public consultations as part of the regulatory process, including an open-door event for citizens, and has submitted a request to Transport Canada to amend the noise abatement procedures at YUL.
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MOSCA, Colorado — A handmade sign at the start of a long dirt road in the rural San Luis Valley indicates to visitors that they’ve arrived at the future site of Kosmos Stargazing Resort & Spa . The peaks of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains barely make a dent in the big blue skies above the 40 acres purchased by founder and CEO Gamal Jadue Zalaquett. He aims to transform the land into a resort featuring 20 villas, a spa, a restaurant and a planetarium. “It’s a place of alignment. Kosmos is a place of connection,” Jadue Zalaquett said. “Kosmos, in a way, is a place to heal, and the San Luis Valley has a lot to do with healing.” He bought the property for $11,000 in December 2020. But with glass domes for stargazing and expensive price tags to stay the night, Jadue Zalaquett’s ambitious brainchild falls snugly into the category of “luxury ecotourism.” His site is an ideal spot for admiring constellations and distant galaxies. According to the National Park Service, the nearby Great Sand Dunes National Park and Preserve is considered an International Dark Sky Park. Jadue Zalaquett said the area is a class two location on the Bortle dark-sky scale, which translates to “ truly dark ” skies. The resort’s planetarium will include a 1-meter telescope. In terms of getting visitors to Kosmos, “that’s gonna be the biggest attractor,” Jadue Zalaquett said. Development is still in the early stages, but it’s already garnering attention from the public: More than 12,000 Instagram users follow the resort’s page where project renderings and updates are shared. Kosmos plans to open its first villa early next year, said marketing operations manager Jennifer Geerlings. Although it’s still under construction, the resort has already booked more than 2,000 reservations, she added. “A lot of it, for some people, is the excitement of being the first to be able to stay in an experience like this,” Geerlings said in a phone interview. “There’s really no other resort that’s doing this.” While Jadue Zalaquett put about $500,000 toward getting the project off the ground, a crowdfunding campaign raised $1.9 million, Geerlings said. Donors paid a one-time fee to receive 50% discounts off their reservations for early 2025. So instead of paying the usual $700 nightly rate, they booked at $350 per night, Geerlings said. And after the campaign’s end, people continued to contribute directly via Stripe, which put total revenue from crowdfunding at more than $2 million, Jadue Zalaquett added. So why is it worth it to stay at Kosmos? For Geerlings, the answer is a combination of the villas — with their jacuzzis nestled in glass domes under the stars — and amenities like the planetarium. “You’re able to experience some of the best stargazing. The Milky Way is visible to the naked eye,” Geerlings said. “A planetarium is something that’s never been at a resort before.” In November, director of field operations Auston Duncan stepped over sagebrush and loose hardware to outline the state of construction on the project. An unfinished villa offered a hint of what’s to come. The rectangular building with exposed wooden rafters and newly-installed glass sliding doors will soon house a bedroom and a bathroom. Jeremy Stephen, the founder of Steamboat Springs-based Evolve Construction , built the villa out of hempcrete , which is made of hemp, water and lime. It works as an eco-friendly insulator, helping to mitigate heating and cooling costs and lending itself to the vision of Kosmos as a resort with sustainability in mind. On one side of the villa, a hot tub will be installed. On the other, a dome made out of glass and wood from Ekodome will cover the kitchen and loft area. The development will occur in phases. Next year, 16 stargazing villas (which hold up to four guests) and 4 galaxy villas (which hold up to eight guests) will be constructed, Geerlings said. Every stay includes an hour of a guided stargazing experience and telescope training. In 2026, the amenities will be built out. Those include the Mediterranean-style restaurant and the wellness center with spa features like hyperbaric chambers, a sauna and a cold plunge. In 2027, the planetarium will be added to the resort. To ensure dark skies, guests will park their cars and use electric golf carts to navigate the resort, Jadue Zalaquett said. He mentioned that discussions with consultants on the stargazing center included a NASA representative, who was interested in hosting a mission workshop at Kosmos next year. Both the planetarium and the spa will be open to the public, Geerlings added. All in all, it’s a bold plan. And Kosmos is looking to hire to make it happen. Right now, the business is in search of employees to lead their stargazing experiences. So far, it’s recruited a former Great Sand Dunes ranger, Geerlings said. The team is considering college students from Adams State University in Alamosa as interns. Kosmos will also need to staff resort operations, including housekeeping, security and front desk workers. “We’re gonna try and hire pretty much everyone locally,” Geerlings said. For Jadue Zalaquett, taking on an endeavor like this runs in his blood. He currently lives between Alamosa and Boulder, but Jadue Zalaquett was born in Chile and grew up in Miami. When his family migrated to Chile, they ran hotels. Several paternal relatives work as architects. However, Jadue Zalaquett didn’t initially follow the family business. Instead, he worked in technology startups for almost a decade. Then, during the COVID-19 pandemic, he visited the San Luis Valley. He realized that, although the Great Sand Dunes were located less than a half hour away, tourists could only choose from a few lodging options. So came the idea for Kosmos. And “here I am, back at my roots,” Jadue Zalaquett said.AP News Summary at 9:33 a.m. EST
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By HALELUYA HADERO, Associated Press President-elect Donald Trump asked the Supreme Court on Friday to pause the potential TikTok ban from going into effect until his administration can pursue a “political resolution” to the issue. The request came as TikTok and the Biden administration filed opposing briefs to the court, in which the company argued the court should strike down a law that could ban the platform by Jan. 19 while the government emphasized its position that the statute is needed to eliminate a national security risk. “President Trump takes no position on the underlying merits of this dispute. Instead, he respectfully requests that the Court consider staying the Act’s deadline for divestment of January 19, 2025, while it considers the merits of this case,” said Trump’s amicus brief, which supported neither party in the case. The filings come ahead of oral arguments scheduled for Jan. 10 on whether the law, which requires TikTok to divest from its China-based parent company or face a ban, unlawfully restricts speech in violation of the First Amendment. Earlier this month, a panel of three federal judges on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit unanimously upheld the statute , leading TikTok to appeal the case to the Supreme Court. The brief from Trump said he opposes banning TikTok at this junction and “seeks the ability to resolve the issues at hand through political means once he takes office.”From strength to strength: Simpfendorfer's lifelong commitment to serving others
