FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE -

The People of Queens Quay want to share their concerns about health and safety of island airport expansion with YOU

WHAT: Health and Safety concerns over island airport expansion expressed at upcoming media event.

WHO: Dr. Peter Jagovic local resident and member ofCanadian Physicians for the Environment and other local residents who are affected by increased ground and air traffic.

WHEN and WHERE:  Friday, May 8, 2009,
                627 Queens Quay W.-11:00 a.m: Tour of neighbourhood
                11:30 a.m.  Press Conference,
                Harbourfront Community Centre

Family Doctor Peter Jagovic will speak on the health affects of poor air quality and noise on residents, particularly students attending the school located adjacent to the roadway leading to the airport.

Residents will also be in attendance and will come forward to speak out about their concerns and will call for the MOE and the City to step in and measure the air quality. They will also be calling for construction to be halted until proper studies of the impact of the airport expansion on the people of the waterfront have been conducted.

CONTACT John Bessai 416 504 9940
Bathurst Quay Health and Safety Committee

Dear Member of the Press:

Many residents of Bathurst Quay and Queens Quay would like to meet with the members of the media to express our concerns about the imminent Island Airport expansion. On Friday May 8, 2009  at 11:00 AM at Harbourfront Community Centre at 627  Queens Quay West.  Please come and hear these concerns in the medium assembly room.

Theme:  Health and Safety of the Queens Quay Community

There are significant problems which face us living in proximity to the Island Airport which will only be exacerbated by its further expansion. Come and learn from the personal stories of the people who live here:

Dr. Pieter Jugovic –resident of the community and a member of Physicians for the Environment and can explain why the public should be aware of the noise and air quality hazards an expanded airport likely poses that would be fine.

Rebecca Quigley – a concerned mother and longtime resident

"I get woken up in the night, how the pollution (airplanes and taxis idling and expanded traffic) seems to be affecting my health. I can't use my balcony for the noise. I must close my windows and doors to have a conversation, or listen to the radio. I could talk about nearly being hit at the intersection by taxis racing through red light, how frustrated most of us have become as we had thought we had won the no expansion fight already when Miller was elected. How many of us have stopped complaining about the noise  and the air quality because no one is listening to us ?."

Ulla Colgrass – Head of the York Quay Neighbourhood Association representing 10,000 residents will express concerns that include safety (the mix of commercial planes with helicopters and small training planes circling around in the often volatile weather changes is highly dangerous) and three types of pollution: noise, air and water and the destruction of the Waterfront as Toronto's largest and most popular recreational area.

Sandy Creighton – parent of child attending Waterfront School will explain her fears associated with her son's constant and long term exposure to fumes and noise. Where are the future neighbourhood children going to go to school?

Michael Brown - artist, waterfront enthusiast and community youth worker Who is disappointed that the community action to scale down airport expansion has not been respected and who is looking into the feasibility of organizing a canoe paddle from Bathurst Quay to the island in protest.

Many people have problems with what is happening to the waterfront because of island airport expansion and these concerns include: Carcinogens: from the airplanes and from the impact of the additional traffic and taxis idling. This is happening not only where we live but where our children go to school and where many of us work.

Loss of sleep as the airport is used beyond 11:00 PM and starts up again at 6:45 AM)

Road safety: The nightmare traffic situation at Bathurst and Queens Quay with the number of taxis, buses and cars rushing to the airport right where our children cross the street to get to school and the park.

Potential vacancy loss or loss of property values due to the proximity of the airport (noise & pollution & safety).

Background

A few years ago the population of Toronto voted in an overwhelming majority against the fixed link to the airport and against airport expansion. At that point the airport had very little traffic and most of it was small private planes.

*  major expansion (up to 1,000,000 passengers per year),
*  more of our parkland taken away due to encroaching pedestrian and auto traffic to the airport,
*  noise at all hours of the day and night so we no longer have peaceful enjoyment of our homes

We do not believe that the rest of the population of Toronto would want to live in such close proximity to an airport. We do not believe that many people in Toronto even realize that the airport has expanded to this extent.

We would like the opportunity of bringing awareness to our increasingly dangerous situation in the hopes that people will understand our concerns.

We also would like to introduce ourselves as the people who live here and not the characatures that some of the media have depicted.

Thank you and please come to meet us.