(We refered the response that we received about our press release from Janet MacDonald, of the Toronto Port Authority, to Brian Iler, chair of CommunityAIR.  This is his response.  Editor) 

1. Doug Reid - an esteemed professor of business at Queen's, and a director of the TPA (until recently), has confirmed publicly that no proposal, let alone a business case, came before the TPA board. What are they referring to?

 2. The report, "Fixed Link to the Airport, dated April 1998, by Dillon Consulting, the TPA's engineering firm of choice, states:

"The evaluation of alternative TCCA Fixed Link forms included the consideration of moveable bridge, shallow tunnel and deep tunnel. It was concluded that a moveable bridge is the most practical form for the Fixed Link due to the significant land based effects associated with the long ramps for either the shallow or the deep tunnel and the high costs associated with the tunnel (i.e., in the order of 400% higher)."

If the cost of the bridge (in 2005)  was in the order of $20 million, then the tunnel would be about $80 million (or more in 2009 dollars). Far higher than their projected $38 million.

If there is information to the contrary, why hasn’t the TPA released it? Transparency and accountability have been, and continue to be, huge issues with this organization.

Brian Iler, chair, CommunityAIR