Mr. Speaker, the Government of Canada is well aware of the seriousness of the complaints from residents in the city of Windsor as a result of the noise and has acted on these concerns.

In 2013, following consultation with the International Joint Commission, two experts in the field of acoustic and infrasound monitoring from the University of Western Ontario, UWO, and the University of Windsor, UW, were contracted by Foreign Affairs, Trade and Development Canada to undertake acoustic monitoring and other analysis to help determine the source of the disturbance.

The UWO study was completed in June 2013 but did not find signals which could be plausibly associated with the Hum. In contrast, the UW study, submitted in January 2014, found that a disturbance does exist that is consistent with characteristics of industrial operations on Zug Island, Michigan. The UW study recommended that further noise monitoring be undertaken in closer proximity to Zug Island. Although the results of the study were inconclusive, they demonstrate that in order to precisely determine the source of the Windsor Hum, further work must also take place on the U.S. side of the Detroit River.

Prior to the May 23, 2014, public release of the two studies, the Government of Canada provided a copy of the study to the Governor of the State of Michigan, the Mayor of River Rouge, in whose jurisdiction Zug Island exists, and other key stakeholders. In July 2014, Canada’s Consul General in Detroit met with officials from U.S. Steel and the Mayor of River Rouge to discuss the report’s results and options for a mutually agreeable resolution to this issue.

The Government of Canada continues to follow up on area resident concerns. Through several written exchanges and numerous phone calls, departmental officials continue to push for a constructive dialogue with representatives from U.S. Steel. Officials are also liaising with the author of the University of Windsor report and the City of River Rouge on appropriate next steps, including with our American partners, on further pinpointing the source and acoustic and other characteristics of the Hum.

Rob Nicholson