Councillors debate Billy Bishop airport expansion

Watch the video above: The island airport debate drags on at city hall. Jackson Proskow reports. 

TORONTO – Toronto city councillors are likely to spend most of Tuesday debating whether to allow jets and extend the runways at Billy Bishop Island Airport.

It won’t be the final vote (that might come in early 2015), but it’s the first step in a process that would allow the deputy city manager to enter into negotiations with the Toronto Port Authority and Transport Canada.

Tuesday’s vote on whether to proceed with talks could be close. Several councillors have expressed questions about airport expansion including Adam Vaughan and mayoral candidate Karen Stintz. Mayor Rob Ford, Deputy Mayor Norm Kelly, Doug Ford and Giorgio Mammolliti have come out in favour of extending the airport’s runways.

“I think it’s a great proposal. We’re going to create jobs, more flexibility, we’re going to have lower fares,” Councillor Doug Ford said.

But he wouldn’t predict whether the proposal will pass.

The city’s executive committee voted 11-1 last week to push forward with the plan which would lengthen the island airport 200 metres at each end.

Many on council want more time to assess the impact it would have on the environment and the development of Toronto’s waterfront.

A report released by Transport Action Ontario on Monday indicated the city would need to increase safety zones in order for the new jets to land, which means more property close to the water will be restricted for commercial or recreational use.

A city staff report released last month also called for passengers coming in and out of the airport to be capped at 2.4 million and daily flights at 202 before any discussion on expansion is made. Right now there are about 2.3 million passengers annually and 202 flights going through the airport daily.

Porter Airlines has already signed a conditional deal with Bombardier to buy up to 30 CS100 jets contingent on the city’s approval of an expansion.

The expansion would also require amending the 1983 Tripartite Agreement between the city of Toronto, the Toronto Port Authority and the federal government that banned jets from flying in or out of the island airport.

Some Torontonians are worried about the noise, inconvenience and possible environmental effects of the proposal.

If council doesn’t come to any decision this time around, the fate of the project could be left in the hands of whomever wins the election this fall.