A coalition of prominent Torontonians is urging the federal government to block Ontario's controversial plan to expand Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport, warning that the proposal could permanently alter the city's waterfront and bypass local oversight.
Letter to Prime Minister
In a letter sent Wednesday to Prime Minister Mark Carney, more than 20 signatories including author Margaret Atwood, former Toronto mayors Art Eggleton and David Crombie, former Ontario Premier Bob Rae, and Olympic gold medalist Hayley Wickenheiser expressed deep concerns about the planned expansion and provincial takeover of the island airport.
“Our city’s Inner Harbour is truly a crown jewel, one of our greatest civic achievements,” the letter reads. “Large infrastructure decisions shape cities for generations. Once major physical urban transformations occur on the Inner Harbour, they will be impossible to reverse.”
Provincial Plans
The Ontario government has proposed taking over operation of the airport from the city, declaring it a “special economic zone” to bypass municipal bylaws and zoning restrictions. The plan also includes extending runways to allow small commercial jets such as the Embraer E195 and Airbus A220 to use the currently propeller-only aerodrome.
The province pitches the expansion as a $140-million economic boost for Toronto that would help ease pressure on overcrowded Pearson International Airport. However, critics argue the move is undemocratic and lacks proper public consultation.
Call for Public Hearings
The letter calls on the federal government to “support full disclosure, to hold open, fully informed and unbiased public hearings on any such plan, including the trade-offs, size of expected infrastructure, land requirements, cost-benefits, timelines, and the public uses to be sacrificed.”
“The indisputable common goal must be determining collectively what is best for our city, its citizens and their future,” the letter adds.
The federal government has a duty to protect both the city’s harbourfront and the island airport until a full and proper review of the project’s impacts is carried out, the letter states.
