Billy Bishop airport consultation a 'waste of time" without detailed plan, critics say

“We don’t know what we’re giving up in return for the supposed benefits of jets on the waterfront, so the consultation is a waste of time,” Hore said in an interview with the Star. 

Prime Minister Mark Carney announced last week that the federal government would hold consultations before making any decisions on the future of Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport. This followed provincial legislation that removed Toronto from the airport’s governing arrangement, replacing it with the Ontario government. Premier Doug Ford has expressed a desire to expand the airport to allow jets.

On Monday, that federal consultation process was launched. Through the Transport Canada website, residents and user groups are invited to provide feedback and fill out an online survey. The consultation period ends July 24. 

Transport Minister Steven MacKinnon said there are many people with a stake and the government wants to hear a diversity of views.

“We want to listen to the voice of Toronto, people in the GTA, users of the airport, people who live close, and people who depend on that service,” he said Tuesday. “There are people all over Canada, northern Ontario, medevac type situations, it’s an extremely multi-faceted issue.”

Brian Iler, a spokesperson for the group Parks Not Planes, said the consultation feels like a stalling measure as Toronto Liberal MPs face pressure from residents to say no to any expansion.

“I think they’re feeling the heat which is a good thing and it feels like this is more an effort to take the heat off rather than to deal with the issue,” he said.

Iler said the federal government weighed in 10 years ago when Porter Airlines pushed for an expansion to allow jets but the Trudeau government rejected the idea. 

“Jets don’t fit that airport, all the studies say that all the studies from 10 years ago say that,” he said. “Put us all out of our misery and say no to jets and simply stand up to Doug Ford. That’s what we’re looking to them to do,” he said. 

Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow welcomes public consultation but said the Toronto Port Authority has to release details about how this expansion would work. The airport is governed by a tripartite agreement between the federal government, the Toronto Port Authority — a federal agency — and now the province.

“The public haven’t see the plan, I’ve not seen the plan and Torontonians need to be involved in meaningful consultations on the plan,” she said. 

Liberal MPs have said there was a need for consultation, but several MPs have indicated they don’t support an expansion. 

“I’ll be supporting an expansion of Pearson (airport) over an expansion of Billy Bishop,” said Don Valley West MP Rob Oliphant in an interview with the Star last week. 

Scarborough Centre—Don Valley East MP Salma Zahid said online that she has serious doubts. 

“Any future proposal must be evaluated on its economic, environmental, transportation, and community impacts. We need more housing, not more planes. In my view, Pearson airport is better equipped to handle future growth,” she said. 

Chi Nguyen, the MP for Spadina—Harbourfront, which includes the airport, encouraged everyone to take part and emphasized the decision on expansion has not been made.  

“The future of Toronto’s waterfront should be shaped by the people who live, work, study, and spend time here every day,” she said. “Residents should participate regardless of whether they support changes, oppose changes, or have concerns about the process itself. This is an opportunity to actively inform a formal consultation process.”

In Washington, D.C. on Tuesday, Ford said “it’s great” Prime Minister Mark Carney has launched a process to consult on the potential expansion

“We always believe in consultation,” said Ford. 

Ford’s legislation that removed the City of Toronto from the airport’s tripartite agreement passed last week, legislation that was opposed by Chow and city council.

“It’s going to add thousands of jobs, attract more tourists. It’s going to make Pearson more competitive on flights, and it’s just going to be convenient, as I’ve said,” the premier told reporters during a trade mission to the U.S. capital.

Ford said “we’ve polled this death” and people are overwhelmingly in favour of an enlarged Billy Bishop.

“People want the convenience of an airport downtown, especially the size of Toronto. We still have more cranes than the top 10 cities combined in the U.S., so it’s growing, and we just need that convenience,” he said.

The federal government controls the majority of the seats on the Toronto Port Authority, which oversees the airport and Ontario NDP MPP Chris Glover said the Carney government should skip the consultation and simply cancel Ford’s plan.  

“We don’t need a consultation to realize that this is a bad idea. We need the federal government to exercise its authority and responsibility to the people of Toronto and stop Doug Ford’s takeover of the airport and the islands.”

With files from Robert Benzie and Mahdis Habibinia