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Toronto : Just hours after suggesting that a decision had not yet been made on whether to allow jets at Billy Bishop City Centre Airport, Transportation Minister Marc Garner took to Twitter to change his tune.
“As the new Minister of Transport, I have been enjoying learning about my files, including re: Toronto Island Airport,” federal Transportation Minister Marc Garneau said in a tweet posted late Thursday night.
“I confirm that GoC position is same as LPC commitment: we will not re-open tripartite agreement for YTZ.”
Speaking to reporters Thursday afternoon, Garneau had suggested that the island airport expansion was still under consideration.
This came as a surprise to many given the fact that the Liberals had previously said they would stand firm on their commitment not to allow jets at the downtown airport.
Coun. Joe Cressy called the transportation minister’s decision to shut down Porter’s plans “tremendous news.”
“The reality is we have the ninth biggest airport in the entire country already in the heart of downtown Toronto and it is not working as it is right now… Our focus as a city now finally moves away from this endless debate about jets and back to how do we ensure that the existing operations better fit in with the local neighbourhood and the city as a whole,” Cressy told CP24 Friday morning.
In a joint statement released by Cressy, and fellow councillors Mike Layton, Pam McConnell and Paula Fletcher, the group said the proposal had been “a dangerous one since the start.”
“Island Airport expansion would have set back our ongoing work to revitalize Toronto’s waterfront and resulted in significant environmental, health, and economic harms,” the statement read.
“We’re pleased that the proposal will not go ahead. It’s time to stop the endless debates over jets, and re-focus on improving what is already there.”
Porter has not yet issued a statement in response to the news and Mayor John Tory’s office refused to comment.
NoJetsTO, a group that has long advocated for protection of Toronto’s waterfront, applauded Garneau’s clarification.
“Today Toronto residents woke up to the good news that the threat of jets on our waterfront is removed,” NoJetsTO Chair Norman Di Pasquale said in a written statement.
“Minister Garneau’s comments reaffirming the Liberal position remove any doubt – the Island Airport expansion scheme is dead.”
