Feds’ rejection of island airport plan prevents waterfront ‘destruction’: advocates
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. “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. 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.
- ▪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.
- ▪“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 Bi
- ▪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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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.
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