Recreational planes park at Toronto's Billy Bishop airport in March. Mark Carney said Wednesday that his government's rejection of Ontario's pitch for an expansion that would accommodate jets reflected public opposition to the plan.Cole Burston/The Globe and Mail
Prime Minister Mark Carney isn’t ruling out ever allowing jets at Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport, but described a proposed island airport expansion as only a small piece of the Greater Toronto Area’s larger transportation needs.
Mr. Carney said his government’s decision to reject Ontario Premier Doug Ford’s pitch for an airport expansion that would accommodate jets reflected public opposition to the plan – one that the Prime Minister had previously described as “interesting.”
But he told reporters at an unrelated housing announcement in Scarborough on Wednesday that “interesting” can mean a lot of things and his use of the word was not an endorsement of the idea.
Still, “forever is a long time,” he said when asked whether he was permanently ruling out allowing jets.
“But look, there is clear criteria on noise, clear criteria on protecting the environment in pristine spots, clear criteria on housing,” he said.
“It’s a small part of a much bigger puzzle, and we need to focus on those other puzzle pieces in the context of serving the people of the GTA, people of Ontario, people of Canada and the people who want to come to Canada.”
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Mr. Carney said there is increased pressure on transportation in and out of the City of Toronto, and the federal government is working to develop a comprehensive approach that addresses what could be required over the next 25 years. He said that includes Toronto’s Pearson Airport, regional airports, the GO Transit train and bus network, and Ottawa’s proposed high-speed rail project.
The Ontario Premier has made the expansion of Billy Bishop one of the top priorities of his government. The province passed a law to take over the City of Toronto’s stake in a tripartite agreement that also includes the federal government and the Toronto Port Authority, a federal agency.
Mr. Carney said he never promised Mr. Ford that the federal government would back the expansion, and Ottawa never had a policy of supporting the idea.
Mr. Carney and Mr. Ford met later Wednesday to tour a public transit site but did not have a media availability scheduled.
Federal consultations were launched on the issue in early June, and on the same day they wrapped up, Transport Minister Steve MacKinnon announced that the expansion plan would not go ahead.
Mr. MacKinnon said in a late-night statement that “at this stage,” Ottawa is focused solely on a planned safety expansion to allow the airport to add 150-metre buffer areas at each end of its main runway, as required by new Transport Canada rules.
Mr. MacKinnon cited feedback raised by the 87,000 people who responded to the consultation, including concerns about environmental protection, noise and quality of life.
He also said that Torontonians must have a say in the discussion and stated that Ottawa would not support plans that “infringe on treasured public spaces,” such as Little Norway Park or Hanlan’s Point Beach on the Toronto Islands.
Editorial: Toronto’s island airport should be allowed to grow
Federal Liberal caucus chair James Maloney, who represents the west Toronto riding of Etobicoke-Lakeshore, said his constituents were concerned about protecting the city’s waterfront.
“My riding, probably more than any, would be affected by whatever happens to Billy Bishop, because I’m on the western end of the runway, and any theoretical runway proposed extension would affect my riding more than any. So my constituents are very happy,” he said.
He added that no government “in a democracy has the ability to say this is never going to happen forever and ever.”
Days after Mr. MacKinnon closed the door on jets, 11 MPPs from Mr. Ford’s Progressive Conservative caucus issued a statement criticizing the federal government’s proposed Alto high-speed rail project. They said there are too many unanswered questions and local voices are not being heard.
Mr. Carney was asked Wednesday whether he viewed that as retaliation, but did not directly answer.
Opponents have argued that the proposal to allow jets at tiny Billy Bishop – and expand flight capacity to serve 10 million passengers a year, more than five times the current number – would spoil the Toronto Islands, harm the harbour and the rest of the city’s waterfront, limit new high-rise housing and create traffic headaches. The issue has long been a flashpoint in local politics.
However, Ontario has vowed to forge ahead with its plan, with provincial Transportation Minister Prabmeet Sarkaria accusing the federal government of bowing to a “small fringe group” when it blocked the expansion.