Ontario’s transportation minister says the federal government caved to the demands of a “small fringe group” when it announced it would block the province’s plan to revamp Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport to accommodate commercial jets.
Federal Transport Minister Steven MacKinnon announced last week that Ottawa had rejected the provincial proposal to expand the airport, following public consultations that drew more than 87,000 responses, mainly from Toronto residents.
MacKinnon said last week that Ottawa would not pursue any plans that could encroach on public spaces, increase noise levels, have considerable environmental consequences, or impede housing construction in Toronto.
Ontario Transportation Minister Prabmeet Sarkaria criticized Ottawa’s decision at an unrelated press conference this week while fielding questions from the media.
“We’ve seen the federal government here listen to a small fringe group in Toronto,” Sarkaria told reporters during the press conference in St. Thomas, Ont., just south of London. “But we as the province will continue to push forward on modernization of this airport.”
Critics of the project, including environmental groups, say permitting jets and increasing passenger volumes at the airport to up to 10 million travellers a year would negatively impact the city’s harbour and waterfront, and lead to traffic congestion.
Premier Doug Ford has said the project is necessary. He described the airport as “a crown jewel” in Toronto’s downtown that could be a major “economic driver,” creating “thousands of jobs” if jets were permitted to land there.
“We need this,” Ford said at a press conference in March. “We need it for the people, the convenience, economic development, and there’ll be an increase in flights as well.”
Sarkaria echoed those sentiments during his press conference this week and urged Prime Minister Mark Carney and his government to reconsider its decision.
“It’s a proposal that makes sense for people that want to travel through air and have different options,” Sarkaria said. “And it’s also about building big projects. If this is how Prime Minister Carney and his team want to… treat bigger projects, I don’t think you’ll get much built.”
Sarkaria said the province planned to continue its push for an expanded airport, adding that a full Billy Bishop modernization plan from the Toronto Port Authority would soon be ready.
He also dismissed Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow’s demand to give the city back the recently expropriated lands in and around the Toronto Islands.
The province approved Bill 110 in the spring, giving Ontario the authority to assume control over the entire Toronto Islands, although the government said it would only seize what is essential, despite the wording in the legislation.
The province has also removed the city from a longstanding tripartite agreement that regulates Billy Bishop airport. Ontario has assumed the city’s position in that agreement, joining the federal government and the Toronto Port Authority, which is a federal agency operating at arm’s length.
Ontario NDP Leader Marit Stiles took to social media this week to say Bill 110 should be “killed” and took aim at Sarkaria’s “fringe group” comment.
“This is a childish insult to the tens of thousands of people who organized to stop Doug Ford’s ridiculous airport expansion,” she said on X. “The Premier didn’t get his way, so his government is lashing out at constituents for using their democratic rights.”
Ottawa-Ontario Deals
Ottawa’s decision not to back Ford’s vision for Billy Bishop brings an end to what has been described as a “handshake deal” between the premier and Carney. Under the reported deal, the province supported the prime minister’s high speed rail project from Toronto to Quebec City in exchange for Ottawa approving changes needed to accommodate jet aircraft at the airport.
Neither Carney nor MacKinnon have been outspoken about their approval of the airport project.
Carney called the concept an “interesting vision” in March, and MacKinnon, who was at the airport on March 9 to announce a new pre-clearance facility for U.S.-bound travellers, would not confirm to reporters whether Ottawa was in favour of expanding the runways to allow jets.
Carney said in June he had “not formed an opinion” and committed to conducting public consultations following the cautious remarks made by several of his Toronto Liberal MPs, who faced unfavourable responses from their constituents.
His slim majority government is preparing for a byelection in the nearby Beaches-East York riding on Aug. 31 after longtime Liberal MP Nate Erskine-Smith, stepped down on July 7.
Ottawa’s decision not to back the airport project prompted several eastern Ontario MPPs to voice concerns this week about Alto, Carney’s high speed rail project.
The 11 MPPs said Ottawa has not adequately addressed issues raised by farmers, landowners, and municipalities and said “meaningful consultation” would be necessary for the public to gain confidence in the project.
They called on Ottawa to listen to “local voices” impacted by the project and to use that feedback to shape the planning of the high-speed train’s route.
“The federal government must ensure that any potential future rail project minimizes impacts on farmland and is supported by the people affected,” the MPPs said in a statement. “We will continue to stand with our municipalities, farmers, landowners, and residents.”
Opposition to Alto has also grown across eastern Ontario, where the project would demand large-scale land expropriation for its construction.
Farmers, municipalities, and landowners have been rallying against the project and brought their protests to Parliament Hill last month.
