Ontario Construction Report staff writer
Toronto city council is calling for the repeal of legislation that gives Premier Doug Ford’s government the power to take city-owned waterfront land as part of a proposed expansion of Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport.
Council voted 25-1 Wednesday in favour of Mayor Olivia Chow’s motion demanding the provincial government to repeal the law.
The vote comes as the future of Ford’s plan to expand the island airport remains uncertain. The federal government said last week it would not support the proposed expansion “at this stage,” following public consultations in which 87 per cent of respondents opposed changes to the airport.
“At this stage, I can confirm that our focus lies exclusively on the approved safety enhancements,” MacKinnon said in a statement. The minister added that the federal government will not pursue any plans that “infringe on treasured public spaces like Little Norway Park or Hanlan’s Point Beach, result in elevated noise, have significant environmental impacts, or hinder Toronto’s ability to build much-needed housing.”
According to Ontario Transportation Minister Prabmeet Sarkaria, however, the province has no intention of repealing the legislation and that the airport expansion plan is not dead.
The law would allow the province to take over waterfront lands including Little Norway Park, portions of the Toronto Islands and Hanlan’s Point. It also gives the province powers to replace the City of Toronto in the tripartite agreement governing Billy Bishop airport.
“The waterfront belongs to everyone,” Chow said. “The province can imagine whatever they want to and spend money doing whatever they want to, but for us, I say ‘No, because people have spoken.’”
The Ford government has argued that expanding Billy Bishop could improve Toronto’s air connectivity and economic competitiveness. The proposal has faced significant opposition from residents and municipal officials concerned about the impact of increased aviation activity on the waterfront and Toronto Islands.