Without jets, the waterfront can flourish again
“I confirm that the (Government of Canada) position is the same as the (Liberal Party of Canada) commitment: we will not reopen tripartite agreement for (Toronto’s island airport).”
When Marc Garneau, Canada’s new transportation minister, tweeted those words it represented the end to years of debate over flying jets out of the island airport. Ottawa officially confirmed that as a signatory of the tripartite agreement, the federal government will not support amendments that permit jets or the expansion of the existing runway. In other words, jets are done.
To paraphrase Bill Davis, a former Ontario premier who announced the end of another proposed expansion. If we want to build a city to leave from, flying jets out of the island airport would be a great place to start. But, if we want to build a city to live in, flying jets out of the island airport is a great place to stop.
When Porter Airlines suddenly proposed expanding runways to make way for jets in 2013, it sparked years of debate about the future of our waterfront. While this may have distracted us from the existing operations of the airport and ongoing waterfront revitalization, thankfully, at city hall we can now look to the future. Like the pushback against the Port Lands Ferris wheel fantasy during the Ford years, we once again pushed to ensure that waterfront revitalization remained a priority for our city.
Toronto began as a waterfront city — and in recent decades, waterfront revitalization is back. Under the leadership of Waterfront Toronto and other contributors, we’ve seen public parks and promenades created, more than 350 businesses have opened up and eight blue-flag beaches have been certified. The waterfront is now home to 17 million annual visitors, making it the second-most popular destination in all of Toronto, bested only by the Eaton Centre.
From Etobicoke to Scarborough, Toronto is returning to its roots as a waterfront city. The federal government’s position on airport expansion is the latest indication that this vision remains strong.
A critical lesson from the jets debate is one we’ve seen ring true again and again throughout history — the power of civic movements and mobilization. Up against very deep pockets, residents of Toronto stood up and spoke out against jets. Long-standing organizations such as CommunityAir did research and mobilized, while NoJetsTO emerged and simply outhustled Porter Airlines and co. Through good oldfashioned organizing, NoJetsTO members signed-up tens of thousands of volunteers, knocked on doors, spoke at city hall and carried the day.
What’s next? At city hall, our focus can now return to ensuring that the island airport’s existing operations fit better with the local neighbourhood and the city as a whole. While there are those who wanted to see the airport expanded, it’s worth noting there are also many who still want to see it closed down. The fact is that we have a tripartite agreement in place that governs the operations of the airport until 2033. We have much work to do to ensure it operates better.
The island airport is the ninth largest airport in Canada. It also happens to be located in the heart of downtown, right on the lake. It has nearly two million annual passengers, all of whom pass through a neighbourhood with 2,700 residents, a local school, a park and a community centre. And, they all pass through a single three-lane road that is already overcapacity. Over the last year, residents, stakeholders and city staff have been working on a comprehensive Bathurst Quay Neighbourhood Plan. This plan will provide a detailed vision for the future of the area to account for traffic, congestion, livability and waterfront revitalization. At city hall, it’s this plan that will guide future infrastructure investments and changes.
In the history of a city, some debates help to define the times. The decision to stop the Spadina Expressway was one such moment when Toronto made the decision to focus on how we live in our city, rather than simply how we commute through it. The decision on jets is such a moment. It speaks to a broader vision for waterfront revitalization. Toronto began as a waterfront city — and we aim to be one for a long time to come.
Joe Cressy is Toronto city councillor for Ward 20 Trinity-Spadina.