“Quiet new jets” issue is a clever red herring

Five well-known Torontonians have written a column in the Globe and Mail opposing plans to expand Billy Bishop Airport on the Toronto Islands. They are Paul Bedford, a former chief planner of Toronto, David Crombie, a former mayor, Jack Diamond, Toronto-based international architect; Anne Golden former head the United Way and now chair of the Transit Investment Advisory Panel and Ken Greenberg, former head of urban design in the Toronto planning department.  In summarizing their position, the writers say: “There is no such thing as a “little big airline” or a “little big airport.” Those are clever words masking private gain and public loss. We cannot allow it to replace a highly valued public vision for our waterfront. We only have one waterfront and it belongs to everyone.” This statement is reminiscent of Mr. Crombie’s warning a few weeks ago. Be prepared to see a large airport on the island if there is any expansion permitted, he said. This is a profound perception that cuts through irrelevant things like how much sound new jet planes may make. Expansion at the airport sets Toronto on the path for an enormously busy international terminal with all the congestion, noise and dirt that come with it. Globe and Mail