Ontario NDP Leader Marit Stiles is writing to Prime Minister Mark Carney, urging him to block the Ford government’s plans for Billy Bishop Airport, arguing he is the “only one who can stop this expansion.”
The latest letter follows a similar plea last month in which Stiles argued it wasn’t popular in Toronto and didn’t have a business case to justify the move.
The expansion of Billy Bishop was first pitched by Premier Doug Ford at the end of February, when he told a Toronto Region Board of Trade event he wanted to see the city’s island airport expanded to host jets.
Since then, the Ford government has tabled a bill to take control of a portion of the airport from the city and give itself expropriation powers over large swathes of the island and waterfront.
It has also said it plans to use new powers to designate the area a special economic zone, where local and provincial laws can be bypassed.
“The implementation of this legislation will rip a beloved space from the public,” Stiles wrote in her letter to Carney.
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“Residents of the downtown neighbourhoods will be severely impacted by whatever Premier Ford decides to do with the Toronto Islands and the Billy Bishop Airport expansion. Toronto will see more traffic and worse congestion in one of the busiest parts of Canada’s largest city.”
Stiles told reporters she believed the prime minister should intervene to stop the province’s plan — something it could do as a party to the tripartite agreement that governs the airport.
“They have the lion’s share of the votes as part of the tripartite agreement and he needs to use that power right now to stop this,” she said.
Ontario Green Party Leader Mike Schreiner said he backed the NDP’s request.
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“The federal government should be stepping in on Billy Bishop,” he said. “I call on every federal MP, especially in the City of Toronto, to say no to this.”
While the Prime Minister’s Office did not answer questions from Global News, a spokesperson for the federal Minister of Transport sent a statement.
“We will work closely with the Province of Ontario and our partners on Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport to reflect a modern and sustainable transportation system,” they wrote.
“We will support the long-term success of the airport while ensuring that critical air connections remain a top priority.”
Speaking during question period on Monday, Transportation Minister Prabmeet Sarkaria defended the plan.
“Leaders across this country are talking about nation-building projects,” he said.
“We are putting forward projects like the Billy Bishop airport that are going to transform the way we compete against the world… Billy Bishop will help support that and continue to improve our competitiveness across the world.”
MARIT STILES WOULD LIKE TORONTO TO GO BACK TO THE DARK AGES……
WE ARE A LARGE VIBRANT CITY WHICH HAS TO MOVE FORWARD!!!!!!
The airport is not even noticed by those enjoying the islands. There is no parking, so there will be no more congestion. Anyone using the airport will be using public transport. Now, maybe there will be a proper connection between the 2 airports. I cannot believe how hard it was to go to the airport from a downtown hotel. A subway connection between BB and Union Station would be great.