The Toronto Port Authority (TPA) will hold its annual meeting one week from today, on Monday, July 12 at 9:30 a.m. in the Queens Quay Room at the Westin Harbour Castle Hotel.  The meeting is open to the public.

Interestingly, on July 6 – 8 in a federal court in Vancouver, the TPA answers Air Canada’s charge that the TPA gave Porter Airlines a monopoly at the island airport.  The TPA will also defend its decision to offer Porter the majority of new take-off and landing slots.  The TPA unilaterally decided how many more slots it could make available based on information supplied by its paid consultant.

It’s probably a coincidence that the TPA scheduled its annual public meeting before the outcome of the lawsuit is known.  However, if the TPA is concerned about the outcome, it needn’t, at least according to Roger Tassé.  In his report on the TPA Mr. Tassé said,
“Considering all the information available, it appears to me that the TPA has respected the requirements of due diligence before entering into and concluding these commercial arrangements with RegCo (Porter Holdings predecessor) to ensure the use of the Island Airport and its financial stability.

Because the matter is before the courts, the TPA is not likely to mention the Air Canada lawsuit except to say that it is confident that the court will find in its favour.

If the court case can’t be discussed, what are the likely agenda items?

The TPA may comment on the recent court finding (those pesky courts again!) that puts the onus squarely on the TPA and City to reach an arrangement far more equitable than the PILTs Panel offered.  In short, the TPA needs to find a way to squirm out of paying its fair share.

No doubt the TPA will present its latest Pollara Survey to justify the Authority’s existence.  Will Pollara base this survey on the same methodology as previous Pollara surveys which seem to lead the respondent to a TPA-favourable conclusion?

The meeting may even hear about the two latest Request for Proposals (RFPs), the season’s first cruise vessel landing at the underused white (or rather red) elephant at the eastern end of the harbour, and then thre’s more Green Marine greenwashing.

For sure, the TPA will discuss its 2009 Financial Statements and point out how much it is raking in in airport improvement fees (AIFs) from its sole airline tenant which is building up debt faster than a sailor on leave can spend his pay cheque.  We may even hear about the tunnel and how Dillon Consultants, who in the 90s said it was too expensive, are making out with its environmental screening.  We also may learn names of the private sector investors who will finance the tunnel to the overbuilt island terminal.

Come one.  Come all.

Bob Kotyk