Toronto Island Squatter Wants Island Airport Closed

No problem.....I will support that initiative when the squatters move on and the islands become a national park and wildlife sanctuary.......

Island airport remains unwelcome TheStar.com - comment - Island airport remains unwelcome

May 21, 2008

Re:Scrap the port authority

Editorial, May 19

We appreciate your editorial support for placing Toronto's port back under local control. That's an important first step in reversing the 1999 mistake that imposed the federal government-controlled port authority structure on Toronto.

But we are mystified by your support for keeping the Toronto Island airport open. That flies in the face of carefully negotiated rights the harbourfront community and the City of Toronto insisted on when commercial passenger service from the airport was first introduced in 1985. According to the agreement, only STOL (Short Take-Off and Landing) aircraft were permitted to be used out of the Island airport for commercial passenger service, and only if they complied with strict noise standards.

Those rights have neither been rescinded nor varied. Given that Porter Airlines' Q400 is not STOL (as confirmed by Transport Canada) and fails to satisfy those noise standards, is it any wonder that those who live, work and play on Toronto's waterfront are upset?

Brian Iler, Chair, CommunityAIR,

Toronto