That helicopter flying over your house might disturb your sleep, but it might also be saving a life or ensuring your safety. It is one of the prices to be paid for our collective society, in which we sometimes must endure individual inconvenience or discomfort for the common good.
Some North Saanich residents are concerned about the noise that will be generated by new military helicopters that will be based at Victoria International Airport. Nine Sikorsky Cyclone CH-148 helicopters have been ordered for 433 Maritime Helicopter Squadron, which has moved into its new $155-million facility.
The new helicopters, expected to begin arriving this month to replace six aging Sea King helicopters, have not been suddenly sprung on the region 鈥� they were ordered years ago.
Ben Casson, a North Saanich resident who is seeking an environmental assessment of noise levels, says the new aircraft are 鈥渂igger and louder鈥� than the Sea Kings.
Are there data to support that? Newer helicopters tend to be quieter than older ones, as much attention has been paid to design and technology that reduces noise.
That doesn鈥檛 mean residents鈥� concerns about noise are trivial or should be dismissed. The Department of National Defence should consult closely with affected municipalities and people, tailoring, where possible, the squadron鈥檚 operations to mitigate disturbance.
But this is a front-line combat and anti-submarine aircraft whose main job is to support the navy. It also has a secondary role of assisting in search and rescue. The squadron鈥檚 members will be called out in the worst of conditions, putting their own lives on the line for the lives of others. So constant training is essential, and that will involve flying at night.
If night training operations can be moved away from residential areas, so much the better, but the squadron鈥檚 safety and effectiveness should not be compromised.
It makes sense to base the squadron at the airport, which predates the vast majority of homes in the area, having been started in 1939 as a grass strip for military aviation training.
As residential areas grew around the airport, people moved there knowing full well they would hear aircraft taking off and landing.
We cannot eliminate every possible noise or inconvenience and expect our society to continue functioning. Helicopters regularly land at and take off from the region鈥檚 hospitals, and that means flying over residential areas at any hour of the day or night. But it鈥檚 a small price to pay for the service performed.
Floatplanes create noise as they take off from the Inner Harbour, but banning them from doing so would eliminate an important service for many. Farms can be smelly and noisy neighbours, but our agricultural land is limited and we need to eat.
Some James Bay residents object to the presence of cruise ships, but the neighbourhood is adjacent to what has always been a working harbour. That鈥檚 not to dismiss the efforts of those seeking to control noise, traffic and exhaust emissions 鈥� those are worthwhile and necessary efforts 鈥� but we can never escape the fact that there will always be a few called upon to endure discomfort for the benefit of many.
The same situation will likely arise when decisions are made about where to site sewage-treatment facilities.
Our modern society is made possible by these and other facilities. Every care should be taken that the comfort and safety of people be compromised as little as possible, but we will never be able to have these facilities without inconveniencing someone.
