Noting that an increase of activity at the international airport has economically benefitted the metropolitan area, they say the night flights have also taken their toll on the quality of life of surrounding residents.

"Côte St. Luc is only impacted sporadically by the direction of the flights and it will be up to this council to decide if we want to pass something about night flights, and as of yet no member of council has asked that it be on the agenda," Housefather said during Côte St. Luc city council's monthly meeting on Nov. 10.

"If they do we will discuss it. Personally I see a lot of reasons why we wouldn't pass such a thing," he added. "In terms of the fact that Dorval airport is the main airport in Montreal, we've already seen our airport become a secondary airport to Pearson in Toronto and you need to have flight traffic.

"And if you don't allow the flight traffic to go anywhere and you put so many restrictions on the airlines that they can't bring planes in, then it'll even more impede our business that comes to Montreal. And fortunately Côte St. Luc right now is not on a direct route, other than in very isolated conditions, when there's weather deviations …"

Housefather said the issue "is more directly affecting municipalities that have adopted resolutions and Côte St. Luc will certainly consider it if indeed one member of council wants to raise it."

Avrom Shtern, a Côte St. Luc environmental activist who had raised the issue, asked Housefather why city council could not at least show its solidarity with the communities affected by supporting their resolutions.

"The reason Dorval adopted it is not related to the economy, but is related to Dorval residents who are the most directly impacted by the noise of the flights," the mayor replied. "The City of Dorval has every incentive to pass it because it's a very big concern to Dorval residents.

"Whereas with Côte St. Luc, as I've mentioned to you, a deviation to the flight routes could very well adversely impact on Côte St. Luc, if you say to the flights 'don't go in these directions, they can move them over us.' So I'm not sure I'm of the same mind just because other cities adopted that we need to adopt it ourselves, but we'll certainly consider it."