Toronto Liberal MPs need to prioritize constituents over jets in Billy Bishop Airport battle
The federal Liberal government's Toronto MPs will soon have to pick a side in the debate over the potential expansion of Billy Bishop Airport situated on that city's downtown waterfront: powerful private interests, or their own constituents.
Previous airport expansion proposals were rejected in 2003 and again in 2015 by citizens and civic leaders alarmed over the risks to public health, the environment, and the future of the waterfront. A similar opposition campaign is now gathering steam.
The new proposal—exact details of which are scarce—envisions the introduction of jets and a major expansion of the city's secondary airport, including paving over 900 metres of Lake Ontario and almost certainly interfering with Toronto's island parklands.
While decisions on any changes to the airport are subject to a tripartite agreement between the federally-regulated Toronto Port Authority, the federal government, and the City of Toronto, Ontario's Conservative Premier Doug Ford is inserting himself into the debate hoping to usurp the city's role. Ignoring opposition from Toronto City Council, Ford's government introduced legislation recently to expropriate land from the city on which the airport sits and declare the area a "special economic zone" so it can bypass applicable municipal and provincial laws.
This is where the federal government comes in. During the previous two debates, the federal Liberals were the deciding factor in supporting Toronto's council and citizen voices in blocking expansion. Still, as its press releases regularly note, this is a "new" Liberal government. Prime Minister Mark Carney showed his cards at an April press conference with both the premier and Mayor Olivia Chow present, declaring that Ford's plan to seize Toronto land without prior consultation has "an efficiency” to it, and offers "big possibilities."
Could the Carney government follow Ford's lead and declare the waterfront airport a "major project," and exempt expansion plans from federal laws under Bill C-5, the Free Trade and Labour Mobility in Canada Act and Building Canada Act? Legendary former Toronto mayor and longtime waterfront champion David Crombie was sufficiently worried that he wrote the prime minister asking him to specifically not do this.
Such concerns leave Liberal MPs from Toronto as the last line of defence for the city and its residents. Unfortunately, most of these MPs are ducking residents on the issue or sharing vague, scripted responses.
They appear to be listening to airport lobbyists, however. Staff and consultants for Nieuport Aviation, the owners and operators of the passenger terminal and which itself is "owned by institutional investors advised by J.P. Morgan Asset Management," met with the Prime Minister's Office on seven occasions in the past 10 months and held seven meetings with Liberal MP Chi Nguyen's office whose riding is home to the airport, including four in March alone.
Most frustrating for opponents is that arguments against jets and expansion of the waterfront airport are stronger than they have ever been. Conversely, arguments in favour directly conflict with stated federal priorities on building a strong economy, affordable housing, and high-speed rail. Consider:
- Toronto's waterfront has been undergoing a vast revitalization project that builds on the substantial economic and social benefits already delivered, including a $13-billion annual contribution to the GDP. Planned and in-progress growth involves new parks, a transit line, and 14,000 units of housing on the remediated 'brownfield' area of Toronto's Portlands of which 30 per cent is designated affordable. The flight path of new jets would necessitate a significant reduction in the amount of proposed housing.
- A 2013 report from Toronto’s medical officer of health warned that residents on the central waterfront were already being “exposed to health risks from airport-related air pollution,” and that introducing jets would raise their “risk of premature death, and cardiovascular and respiratory health outcomes.” The report also addressed threats to water quality, traffic safety, noise, and climate change.
- The downtown airport's supposed convenience advantage was negated back in 2015 with the advent of an express train that runs every 15 minutes between Toronto's Union Station and Pearson Airport. With the building of the Alto high speed rail project, residents living in the Toronto-Ottawa-Montreal corridor will have a cleaner, more efficient transportation alternative to flying.
Torontonians are once again saying no to expansion of the waterfront airport; they need the city's Liberal MPs to come on board.
Christopher Holcroft is a Toronto-based writer.
The Hill Times