The federal government’s decision to halt Ontario’s plan for a major expansion of Billy Bishop airport will guard Toronto’s waterfront against serious setbacks to its revitalization, advocates say.
The project would involve increased pollution and “massive destruction” of the Toronto Islands after billions of dollars invested in waterfront rehabilitation over the past couple of decades, said Tim Gray, executive director of Environmental Defence.
He pointed to the nearly kilometre of lakefill needed to build a runway and taxiways as well as the “gridlock” and aircraft and car emissions the additional plane traffic would cause on shore.
“The federal government listened to the people of Toronto who organized by the tens of thousands to push back against this proposal,” Gray said. “It shows that people working together can make real change and protect their city.”
On Friday, federal Transport Minister Steven MacKinnon said the government is “exclusively” focused on approved safety upgrades already underway at Billy Bishop, rather than on building it out to allow jets to land.
He said the conclusion was based on public consultations that garnered more than 87,000 responses. But MacKinnon also left the door open a crack to a potential change of course in future years, framing the decision as “at this stage,” instead of a final one.
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Ontario Premier Doug Ford’s proposal to significantly expand the runway drew criticism from environmental and community advocates over concerns around the project’s effect on noise, traffic and pollution levels as well as affordable housing and the Toronto waterfront itself.
It made up one piece in a broader bid by the Ford government to overhaul the city’s shores. The grand plans include a redeveloped Ontario Place, currently under construction, a possible new island to hold a massive convention centre and legislation that saw the province take over the city’s role in Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport in order to expand it — an effort that is now grounded.
Ontario Transport Minister Prabmeet Sarkaria said Friday the province will continue trying to advance an expansion, stressing its benefits for job creation and economic growth.
“As this work continues, we look forward to seeing and anticipate a plan that ensures the project protects public spaces, including the Toronto Islands, addresses potential noise and environmental impacts, expands and improves Little Norway Park, supports new housing opportunities in the area and delivers lasting benefits for local communities,” he said on social media.
A spokesperson for Ford’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment Saturday.
“This is a reprieve from an extremely ill-conceived and reckless idea that would have undone 50 years or more of progress in reconnecting Toronto to its place of origin on Lake Ontario,” said Ken Greenberg, an urban designer who helped lead a group called Reality Check that opposed the provincial plan.
Greenberg described the Toronto harbour, which is formed by the islands that lie just offshore and host Billy Bishop, as the “crown jewel” in the waterline of Ontario’s Golden Horseshoe.
“There’s no such thing as a whisper jet; it’s an oxymoron,” he said, while acknowledging that the regional jets that a larger airport could accommodate make no more noise than the turboprops that touch down there daily.
“The difference is not a single airplane, it’s the frequency,” he said.
The Ford government has said the airport would eventually notch a projected 10 million passengers a year and generate $8.5 billion in annual economic benefits.
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