Ontario Premier Doug Ford says his government is not giving up on plans to expand Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport (YTZ) to accommodate jets, despite the federal government rejecting the proposal last month.
Speaking at an unrelated press conference in Guelph, ON Thursday (Aug. 13), Ford expressed confidence that the province will eventually succeed in changing the rules governing operations at the downtown Toronto airport, although he did not elaborate on how his government intends to move the proposal forward.
“As we move forward, I truly believe we’re going to convert that airport,” Ford said, as reported by the Canadian Press.
“Let the people decide. Let the market decide. If people don’t like it, they aren’t going to have planes there. But guess what? Every single person knows that airport will be a phenomenal success.”
Ford argued that allowing jets at Billy Bishop would strengthen the economy while giving travellers more convenient options and potentially lowering travel costs.
He said he has also requested additional polling on the issue.
The future of the airport has become a point of tension between Queen’s Park and Ottawa.
Billy Bishop operates under a tripartite agreement involving three parties. The City of Toronto was previously one of them, alongside the federal government and the Toronto Port Authority, a federal agency.
Earlier this year, however, the Ontario government took over the city’s role in the agreement.
Prime Minister Mark Carney’s government rejected Ford’s proposed airport expansion in July following a federal consultation that found significant opposition to allowing jets.
Carney has said the consultation results were clear, while stopping short of permanently closing the door on the possibility.
Despite shelving the broader expansion plans, the federal government will still allow safety-related runway improvements at Billy Bishop required under Transport Canada regulations.
This latest decision marks the second time a Liberal government has rejected plans to expand Billy Bishop airport.
Shortly after taking office in 2015, the government of then-prime minister Justin Trudeau ended discussions around a previous proposal to allow jets at the downtown airport.
But Ford’s latest remarks suggest the province sees room to continue pursuing the issue.
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