WaterfrontForAll

Join us on May 6 for our Speaker Series 23: Parks & Housing ... or Jets? What are Toronto's Choices. RSVP here: waterfrontforall.ca/speaker_series… [@NoJetsTO @MoreNeighbours @TransportAction @LOWaterkeeper @swimdrinkfish @Spacing @Walk_TO @CycleToronto @ttcriders @Park_People @ONPlace4All]

He had better not be.

@gator_gum Perhaps a little light reading? The current Transport Canada regulations tc.canada.ca/en/aviation/pu…, 2015 Study of JET OPERATIONS AT BBTCA assets.nationbuilder.com/waterfrontfora…, The E.A. done for the previous jet proposal when building heights in the Port Lands were lower: nojetsto.com/_files/ugd/af9…

This is a bit of "hot take" and probably won't be widely agreed with by my followers, but I am open to the idea of expanding the Billy Bishop Airport. I haven't looked that much into it, to be honest, but I'm not going to just be against it because Ford/Poilievre support it. I flew out of BB not that long ago, and it was really convenient and a super positive experience. I am definitely willing to discuss and weigh both sides...

In just 2 days on May 6 we ask: #Parks & #Housing or ... #Jets? What are Toronto's Choices [on our Central #Waterfront]? Join us at 7 pm, Wednesday, May 6th (free) but please RSVP here: waterfrontforall.ca/speaker_series…

@igrand5 @NoJetsTO @jslaterTO @normsworld @MarkJCarney It was a bad idea in 2013. It's a worse idea now. Port Lands, UPExpress, Central Waterfront, . . .

@TomPark1n Excellent Question. You know we're not on "Team #YTZ Jets" but if one were, then it's actually hard to imagine how you'd make it work without expropriating Little Norway Park. Perhaps there's more confusion than sense in the Premier's Office for Jets. 😉 @NoJetsTO

This week Doug plans to protect the park he planned to destroy last week! What changed? Where is this plan, anyway? Obviously there is one somewhere -- maybe in the JP Morgan vault?

In my entire professional experience, I have never encountered the argument that expanding an airport, rather than investing in high-speed rail, is the solution to taking cars “off the road”.

I can tell you with confidence that more jet flights will not have "environmental benefits". However, the high speed train he hates will. #cdnpoli #handsoffourwaterfront

Now is the time for a public reckoning on the costs of a Billy Bishop Airport expansion theglobeandmail.com/canada/article…

Now is the time for a public reckoning on the costs of a Billy Bishop Airport expansion theglobeandmail.com/canada/article…

@PJforTO UP Express exists

So they do fundamentally understand what will improve traffic, just with the thing that is not made to improve traffic.

The @UPexpress travels between Pearson and downtown Toronto from early morning until late at night. Travel time is 28 minutes, twice as fast as driving, and way cheaper than an airport limo or cab. More environmentally friendly the a limo or private car despite the diesels.

@TheresaLubowitz The issues with jets at #YTZ is one of geography, environment and the impact on Port Lands & adjacent housing development. These issues exist irrespective of ownership issues. And Billy Bishop Toronto Islands Airport is already operationally privatized.

@WaterfrontAll They may be separate issues but they come from a shared political philosophy and expectations should be adjusted accordingly.

The man has already signalled he wants to sell off our airports. Every policy choice he makes signals that he believes public good can only be achieved through private sale. He will not be the city's saviour on this issue.

EXCLUSIVE: The Ford government has spent five years, and an untold amount in taxpayers dollars, fighting to keep their 2018 mandate letters a secret. Here - in full - are all 24 sets of directives, leaked to and verified by Global News. globalnews.ca/news/9942332/o… #onpoli

Councillors, residents concerned Bishop jet expansion could restrict new waterfront housing cbc.ca/news/canada/to…

Spoken like someone who doesn't live in Toronto or even know it....how does he think people get to an airport? Most airports are built where people don't live....this is. Add in all the other white elephant projects Ford wants built there is literally no room for people.

@observinthecity We don't want to be disrespectful to the Leader of His Majesty's Loyal Opposition but that's just nuts.

"It will take cars off the road, instead of having to fly to Pearson and fight your way downtown in a taxi or uber, you'll be able to fly right to your downtown destination." Do these people know the Union-Pearson express exists?

We don't want to be disrespectful to the Leader of His Majesty's Loyal Opposition but that's just nuts. ⬇️

@EricDLombardi @MikePMoffatt With sincere respect, wouldn't those who've done admirable work on pro-housing advocacy consider the merit of studying impacts on current & future plans for housing in Toronto's Port Lands & Central Waterfront? Where billions of public revitalization funds have already been spent

Complete nonsense, I don’t get it. This should all be done on fixed timelines. Eg. 1) 1 mo to establish governance and decision mechanism. 2) 3mo to develop report on options. 3) 6mo on scrutiny and debate 4) 2mo final evaluation and decision. And will probably actually facilitate faster action because there is far less risk of a future government cancelling whatever this one determines.

Canada and Ontario are a democracy, but it often feels like we’ve lost *democratic culture*. You can see it in the debates we’re having (and lack there of). I’ll use the Toronto Island/Billy Bishop controversy as an example. 👇 First, what is the problem? - The island airport lease was set to expire in 2033, but has been extended to 2045 to figure out next steps. - The Q400 turboprop planes that fly out of the airport are no longer mass produced. - While maintenance works for the next decade or two, the island airport really has 2 options: Extend the runway to allow jets or shut down the airport. - - - The democratic approach to solving this problem would look like the following. 1) Establish a working group to evaluate future options, should be governed by clear stakeholders from all participants (Feds, Province, City, TPA etc). - Expand the airport - Maintain the airport - Shut the airport It should also propose a transparent mechanism for determining a path forward. This doesn’t mean every stakeholder gets what they want, but people understand how the decision is made and accept it. 2) Present clear futures to the public for scrutiny and debate. - Detailed proposals outlining cost/benefit/context/trade-offs/remediation. - Context of other potential infrastructure investments and developments (eg, HSR, Ontario Place, Port Lands) - Access and Local/regional transit upgrades to improve connections - Impacts on airline competition in the region, and remedying options (eg, upgrading Hamilton Airport) - The potential of working with De Havilland/Bombarier/Embraer on re-production of suitable planes for the existing or reduced runway expansion scope - Business/investment potential - Cultural and environmental impact 3) Period for public scrutiny. The reality is that reports and commissions get a lot wrong, because humans are fallible. Public advocacy (not NIMBYism) often improves outcomes and clarifies preferences. The public and civil society have a role here. 4) Decision by arms-length mechanism suggested in (1) and a clear/written justification for the approach. It should not be a partisan decision by the Ford government, which will be long gone before anything materializes. That’s how you ensure legitimacy going forward so a future gov doesn’t change course after spending billions of dollars. Not everyone will be happy, but at least people will know that fair consideration actually occurred. - - - The problem with the ham-fisted approach being pursued by Ford, TPA and the Conservatives (and from the shameless silence of the Federal Government) is that the public has very little information to go by. The city itself is completely in the dark. And yet, there is a rush to use eminent domain over the entire islands. It’s an authoritarian impulse to believe that opposition has no inherent legitimacy. I love democracy, debate, and ideas. Yet our leaders have been afraid to actually believe in it in their actions. Everyone is reacting pathologically. So, do I support the island airport expansion? I can’t possibly know. We literally don’t have the information to judge. And that’s the core democratic failure. All I can say is that we should demand better from @fordnation @PrabSarkaria @MarkJCarney cc @RunChiNguyenRun @WaterfrontAll @WaterfrontBIA @NoJetsTO

Irresponsible governments bend and rewrite laws to promote multi-billion projects that lack any impact study and business case. Such behaviour is third world, corrupt, or both. They're distorting our legal system. They're spending our money. They're building on our waterfront.