For everyone interested in the Toronto mayoral race, there's a debate between the top candidates (Ford, Smitherman, Rossi, Pantalone, and Thomson) tomorrow evening, Wednesday, September 8, 6:30 p.m., at the MaRs Centre Auditorium, 101 College Street.  Tomorrow's debate subject: Prosperity and the Economy; Coming out of recession, how will the new mayor address the prosperity gap in our city and promote economic growth?

September 22 at 7p.m., York University, Tribute Communities Recital Hall, Accolade E Building (4700 Keele Street) which is about Finance, Transportation, and Managing the City,

October 4: at 1 p.m. The Bathurst Quay Neighborhood Ass. and the York Quay Neighborhood Ass. are holding a mayor debate in the Brigantine Room of Harbourfront.  This will be OF SPECIAL INTEREST TO THE WATERFRONT:  and

October 7 ay 7p.m., St. Lawrence Centre for the Performing Arts, Jane Mallett Theatre (27 Front Street East) on Planning, Community, the Environment and Sustainability.

 Hear what the race leaders have to say first hand

They're back at it again.  Porter planes were doing engine run-ups to shatter the calm of a lovely evening.

I shouldn't say they are back at it again.  I suspect that engine run-ups have been going on all summer.  I, fortunately have spent much of the summer away and I haven't heard the bone rattling noise.

How many planes does Porter have now?  Twenty, twenty-one or more?  Who knows?  All we can predict is that it is going to get worse before it gets better.  Porter has another five planes on order from Bombardier.

The question is where will they fly to?  We know that they are adding flights to Ottawa and Montreal because those are the only sure winners.  All of the American routes, with the possible exception of Newark, are pretty well a bust.

I seem to remember that that was exactly the situation when City Express ran a service back in the late '70s and early '80s.  They could make a go of it on the Ottawa and Montreal runs.  Newark was iffy.  Finally they cut back on Newark and then they cut the whole business.  City Express went under.

So where are Porter's new planes going to fly to?  Hamilton's got a big airport that is underutilized.  What about Peterborough?  Or what about following the path of that trail blazer City Express?

Bill Freeman

September 6, 2010 20:09:00

Jesse McLean      

Toronto Star Staff Reporter     

 As jets rumbled overhead, Farzana Doctor let out her own roar.

Roy Mitchell donned a “decibel detector” on his head — a paper-mâché ball bedazzled with knick-knacks — to see if the noise from his friend drowned out the planes.

Passersby cocked their eyebrows. The jets continued on unfazed.

Their mock experiment was all part of a protest against the CNE’s air show.

About 10 people huddled for a picnic beneath a rain-soaked tarp in Trinity Bellwoods Park on Monday to protest what they call an antiquated event that pollutes the environment, disturbs residents and promotes symbols of militarism.

“So often the argument people use for keeping the air show alive is: ‘It’s tradition.’ We think it’s an outdated tradition,” said Doctor. “We hate that there are these war planes flying over Toronto neighbourhoods.”

The group’s members say there is a growing intolerance among Torontonians against the jet spectacle. However, instead of holding a confrontational protest, they thought it would be more productive to hold a picnic that raises attention to the social and environmental problems they attribute to the air show.

“What are you going to do, stand at the CNE and yell at people?” Mitchell said. “I think there’s a lot to be said about using farce and making a potato salad.”

The City Edmonton City Council has voted to close its City Centre Airport. 

This is a small airport located in an Edmonton neighbourhood.  The airport had its supporters, but many residents fought to close it for a variety of reasons such as noise, air pollution and safety.  Edmonton has another busy airport that can easily handle the air traffic.  Finally, after a long struggle, the residents won and the airport will close.

Sound familiar?  Inner city airports are being closed across North America.  Recently Meigs Field in Chicago closed  and now Edmonton.  Can the Island Airport be far behind?

This link describes the exciting redevelopment process that the City of Edmonton has put in place to develop plans for the airport lands.  If they can do this in Edmonton, think what could be done with the 215 acres of land occupied by the Island Airport.  These lands could be a wonderful asset for the City of Toronto and the Waterfront.

http://www.edmonton.ca/city_government/planning_development/city-centre-airport-redevelopment-master-plan-competition.aspx

Congratulations on a job well done! Our Clean Train Pledge campaign was highly successful! To date,  97% of elected officials and mayoral candidates that we asked to support us in this pledge have done so! (See www.cleantrain.ca for the full list.)    

 As a reminder, the text of the pledge was:

 I will, by Simcoe Day, August 2, 2010, publicly call on Premier Dalton McGuinty to direct Metrolinx to electrify the Georgetown Corridor, prior to the expansion of passenger rail service including both GO Transit and the Air Rail Link.

 This is a clear mandate, through our elected representatives, from the 300,000 people living along the rail corridor, that our communities demand clean, modern electric train service that does not endanger our health and environment through noise and air pollution.

 The successful pledge campaign has consolidated our support along the rail corridor. We are on solid ground for meeting with the Minister of Transportation and focusing pressure on the the Premier.  

 Upcoming Events

 The Clean Train Coalition has been invited to speak at a couple of upcoming information sessions. Keith Brooks will be our spokesperson at these events.

 It would be great if you could come out to show your support for electric trains at one of these meetings

 

·         Monday, Aug 23, 7-9 p.m.  at St. Christopher House on King Street (1033 King St.)
Organized by MP Olivia Chow, this meeting is on transportation options in the Liberty Village area. Speakers will include our own Keith Brooks, as well as Adam Giambrone, TTC chair, and Gary McNeil of GO Transit. Q&A to follow

·         Tuesday, Aug 24, 6:30-8:30 p.m.  at Harbourfront Community Centre, in the Medium Assembly Room (627 Queen's Quay West, @ Bathurst)
Organized by the Condo Owners Association (COA), this meeting is called "The Air We Breathe" and is about the proposed diesel plan for the Air-Rail Link. Speakers will include Keith Brooks of the CTC, as well as Linda Pinizzotto, President of the COA, Avrum Regenstreif of Transport 2000 Ontario, MP Olivia Chow and MPP Rosario Marchese.   http://www.coatoronto.com/air-rail-link

 

·         UPCOMING EVENT: Stay tuned for details of another big Clean Train event

 

Help wanted!    

 

We are entering a critical phase of our campaign, and we could use your help. If you can donate any time to the campaign, please let us know.  We need help getting the word out in your neighbourhood, but we also badly need help keeping the Coalition organized and on track. Can you: Coordinate volunteers? Reach out to other organizations? Keep track of upcoming events the CTC should attend? Help us organize or get the word out about our upcoming big event?

If there is any way you would like to help further the campaign for clean trains, please let us know by sending an email to   info@cleantrain.ca .

 

Help get the word out - get your neighbours to sign up at www.cleantrain.ca

 

 

The Globe and Mail 's Brent Jang reports that U.S. authorities have rejected Porter Air's application for customs preclearance facilities to open at the Toronto Island airport.

Read the whole article at:

www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/porters-growth-strategy-thrown-for-a-loop/article1676421/ />

Actually Marie, in terms of noise disturbance it does matter where you live. My home of 15 years was at Queens Quay and Robertson Crescent - - on the water facing the water - - about 2 city blocks from the airport runway and I was generally disturbed by airport activity and extremely disturbed by the sound of the helicopters returning to their garage at 2 and 3 am. Couldn't leave my windows open for "fresh" air.

Friends at 250, 260 and 270 Queens Quay hear almost nothing. Similarly other neighbours and friends whose homes face away from the airport or sheltered by a courtyard or even on the north side of Queens Quay are not disturbed by the airport noise. And anyone who is deaf or nearly deaf likely would not be disturbed. But,it's not to say that all visitors and residents, including you, are not regularly bathed in airplane exhaust when outside or breathing fumes as they are sucked into your home through your building's air intake.

A former resident

THE AIR WE BREATHE: SAY NO TO MORE DIESEL TRAINS
Say Yes to Train Electrification, Yes to a World Class City

The 2015 Pan Am Games are fast approaching. The world is watching.
A new Air-Rail Link (ARL) will connect Toronto Pearson International Airport
to the largest downtown transportation hub in Canada, Union Station.
This Air-Rail Link is anticipated to use single-level, self-propelled diesel-powered
railcars known as diesel multiple units (DMU). Plans are underway for major
spending to produce a new type engine for this train, Tier 4 Diesel, even though
long term plans are to eventually fade these out and replace them with electric.
Manufacturing any new type of diesel engine is not only a waste of time, it will be a
great expense to the taxpayer as well as affect the quality of life in many areas of
Toronto due to noise and air pollution, not to mention "Global Climate Change".
Many residents in areas close to Union Station are already unable to open their
windows or sit on their balconies due to smog and noise pollution from the line-up
of parked idling diesel trains waiting to get into Union Station during rush hours.

SAY NO TO OLD TECHNOLOGY
Say Yes to GREEN Technology and Say Yes to Clean Air

Medium Assembly Room, Harbourfront Community Centre
627 Queens Quay W. (SOUTH / EAST CORNER OF BATHURST)
August 24th 2010, 6:30 - 8:30 pm

Guest Speakers: Olivia Chow MP, Trinity-Spadina
Rosario Marchese MPP, Trinity-Spadina
Keith Brooks, Spokesperson, Clean Train Coalition
Linda Pinizzotto, President of Condo Owners Association
Avrum Regenstreif, PhD, Treasurer of Transport 2000 Ontario
(an expert in Energy and Efficiency, and Electric Train Technology)
Have your say. Questions and comments are welcome.

Interesting information. Thank You. It is good to have you join the dialogue. I would also be interested in hearing your thoughts on how funding Porter Airlines falls with in the mandate of Export Development Canada.

James Holzbauer

Mr Holzbauer ...

I assume you are implying that my post on the "demented paranoia" (his words) of the Potemkin Village theory was routinely insulting. My sincere apologies that I didn't realize his conclusions met your criteria of putting "the facts about the airport's impact and financial realities clearly and succinctly" (your words).

And BD, since you asked (no, wait, assumed) ... I happen to live well within 500 yards of the airport, specifically Spadina/Queen's Quay, where I feel close enough to the airplanes to see if the passengers are drinking red or white. I neglected to mention this fact in the last post as I assumed that, since CAIR says they have the interest of the city and all its residents at heart, my address was not relevant. Perhaps that's not the case.

Just an observation.

Marie