Blog response:

Joe – you wrote: “I have a hand written letter from my member of parliament who went on to portray the entire TCCA anti-airport movement in a very negative tone (i.e. island mafia) and added that many of their colleagues were of the same opinion.”

This sounds like Joe Volpe, who has been utterly hostile to Toronto’s waterfront dreams for a long time. He was a key supporter of the successful federal government’s decision  to impose the Port Authority on Toronto back in 1998. And was surprisingly nasty to CommunityAIR and City Councillor Adam Vaughan in a hearing before a House of Commons Committee in February 2008: see the transcript, at http://www2.parl.gc.ca/HousePublications/Publication.aspx?DocId=3246256&Language=E&Mode=1&Parl=39&Ses=2

Certainly, politicians in the north of Toronto aren’t as sensitive as those elected by downtown residents to waterfront issues, and sometimes see the issues through the eyes of their constituents who make the Q400 in Downsview.  But we do draw significant support from Liberal and NDP politicians throughout Toronto.

The fight for more accountable governance of Toronto’s port, and for a waterfront all of Toronto can be proud to visit and enjoy, is one that draws broad support from all parts of Toronto.

While CommunityAIR draws support from the Island community, many of us (including me) are not Island residents. Your (and, apparently, your MP’s) use of an inaccurate and offensive slur  diminishes you, and any case you might attempt to make to defend what the TPA and the Island Airport are doing to our waterfront.

Brian Iler, chair
CommunityAIR