(This is a news item that will appear in Update, the newsletter of the York Quay Neighbourhood Association, that goes to 55/65 Harbour Square.   Editor)

Island Airport expanding

The Island Airport is ramping up, hoping to fly 240 Porter planes past our homes every day. Larger buildings are going up to accommodate the traffic, which was announced at a press conference April 27. Tory Transport Minister John Baird, Tory  Minister of Finance Jim Flaherty, and Ontario Liberal Economic Development Minister Michael Bryant were present.

A considerable crowd of opponents to this growing industrial use of the Central Waterfront was lead by MP Olivia Chow and city councillor Adam Vaughan. Did any sparks fly? None at all, because the press conference was held behind closed doors to avoid questions from outsiders.

So we had a public event with public servants announcing expansions to a public airport supported by taxpayer’s dollars, yet it was held in private. Porter already has a monopoly on commercial flights from this airport. The “press conference” suggests that the airport itself is run like a private enterprise.

Residents of HarbourSide can express their views to all levels of government and influential bodies such as Waterfront Toronto and Toronto Tourism.  Currently the airport expansion and the resulting increase in noise and air/water pollution is viewed as affecting only residents near Bathurst Quay and on the Island. In fact, the damage is more extensive, besides the Waterfront is the favorite recreational area for all Torontonians. We have 12 million visitors a year, and a great investment is going into Waterfront revitalization. There is more to the Waterfront than an airplane every five minutes.