Press Release from CommunityAIR

CommunityAIR - devoted to restoring the lands and harbour now occupied by the Toronto Island airport to park, recreation, and cultural uses.

E-mail           info@communityair.org
Web Site        www.communityair.org
Address      PO Box 81057, 47B Harbour Square, Toronto M5J 2RO

For Immediate Release Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Contact:  Brian Iler, Chair

What’ s With That TPA Poll?

“The Toronto Port Authority’s poll on the proposed tunnel is deeply flawed, “ said Brian Iler, Chair, Community AIR. “After  it found that not many people knew much about the TPA, it gave out some “facts” favourable to the TPA, and then – surprise! -  got a positive answer on the proposed tunnel.”

“If a similar set of readily-available negative facts about the TPA had been offered first, one can reasonably expect that the question about the proposed tunnel would have been answered very differently”, said Iler.

That survey, which the TPA has relied heavily on in its orchestrated campaign for a tunnel to the Island Airport, reveals the following:

·        A whopping 90% of respondents visit the waterfront at least once a year (Q3), and are attracted by cultural and recreational activities (Q3)

·        Only 18% knew that the TPA is responsible for the Island Airport (Q7).

·        When first asked of their impression of the TPA, 58% were indifferent – either neutral, didn’t have an opinion, or refused (Q8).

What the survey then went on to do is to supply alleged facts favourable to the TPA to fill that knowledge void. Those alleged facts included:

·        “The TPA dredges the mouth of the Don River” (Q9) – when, according to the Toronto and Region Conservation Authority, it has that responsibility^[1][2]

·        “The TPA provides transportation, distribution, storage and container services to businesses”(Q10) – when, aside from sugar, gravel, cement, and salt, that go directly to docks owned by their distributors, actual ships using into Toronto’s harbour are very scarce. The TPA has admitted that few, if any, containers arrive or leave by ship –  valuable waterfront lands are occupied with stored containers that arrive and leave by truck.

·        “The TPA ensures safe and efficient movement of ships in the harbour including sailboats” (Q12) – when the sole TPA role observed by sailors is its annual money grab for the mandatory harbour licence.

·        “The [Island Airport] is used often in medical emergencies” (Q18) – when in fact, our study clearly discloses that use of the Island Airport by ORNGE helicopters significantly reduces response time in an emergency because the airport is at the bottom, not the centre, of the area served by those helicopters. In addition, they drop the patients directly at the hospitals, not at the airport. Any patients who do fly in on fixed wing aircraft have been stabilized and are not classified as medical emergencies. (see www.communityair.org/briefing/docs/Medevac_Report.pdf)