A Montreal citizens' group is planning to start testing noise levels generated by planes arriving and departing from Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport.

Citizens for the Quality of Life (CQL) prepared a plan to distribute sonograms to residents in areas affected by the noise to measure decibel levels. The group plans to take data collected by residents and publish online.

Aeroports de Montreal (ADM) says it has been monitoring noise levels in accordance with standards set by Transport Canada, and requires that new flight paths do not result in noise that exceeds 70 decibels on the ground.

Transport Canada is responsible for enforcing air traffic noise control and has the power to sanction both pilots and carriers who violate the rules, ADM's website states.

But CQL's Luc Marion told CTV Montreal that the limit is being exceeded.

ADM, on the other hand, maintains overall noise has been reduced and residents are going to have to tolerate some noise, said CTV Montreal's Tara Schwartz reporting from the ADM's annual general meeting in Montreal Thursday.

Less planes have been taking off from the airport recently and less people are living in the area affected, said ADM President and CEO James Cherry.

In fact, in 1995, 107,000 lived in the Dorval area and now only 18,000 live there, he added.

"The facts remain that there are fewer and fewer people affected by it," he said.

Noise generated from airplanes can trigger stress, which can cause changes in one's heart rate and blood pressure, states Health Canada's website.

Marion has demanded ADM reduce the number of flights in Montreal to save residents from stress and being woken up late at night.

"So many people contact us and tell us that they are affected and are woken up by these flights. We're not dreaming. These are the actual affects," said Marion.

With a report from CTV Montreal's Tara Schwartz