Although we don't live directly on the waterfront, we are a short walk away and frequently walk along Harbourfront, the Music Garden, and past Norway Park.

Three times in the past month we have taken visitors down to the waterfront to show them this aspect of Toronto. Each time, the walk has been accompanied by a series of planes taking of from the Island Airport, shattering an otherwise relatively tranquil space and walk.

Seeing and hearing this through the eyes of visitors is a reminder of how incongruous it is to have an airport, which promises to only get busier and busier, bang in the middle of a developing waterfront.  It is directly contradictory to all the development - the new parks that have opened, for example - that is taking place.

The planes taxi out to the runway, stay there idling for at least five minutes, then take off with a great roar.  Noise pollution seems to be the poor cousin of all the concerns about pollution in the city, but it becomes very real when we encounter the planes.

In a sense, a noise complaint is futile - planes make noise, and as long as Porter Air is free to use the Island Airport as its private airport, we realize there is nothing that can be done.

Nevertheless, to say nothing is probably an even worse offense, and we write mainly in the hope that this might register one more protest about the noise that, added to others, will finally result in closing the airport and restoring the waterfront.

Nick Elson