Toronto Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport | ?m | ?s | Ports Toronto | Arup

[junctionist]

If our downtown were just employment space, having a full-fledged international airport would be an excellent use of the land at the island airport. But since our downtown is now as much a place to live as a place to work, having a busy airport at one of the most unique and important amenities for residents--the waterfront--makes little sense. The redevelopment of the airport into parkland would merit an international design competition for landscaping--one that might include the rest of the islands as well. It would be one of the greatest urban parks in the world.

 

[ksun]

If our downtown were just employment space, having a full-fledged international airport would be an excellent use of the land at the island airport. But since our downtown is now as much a place to live as a place to work, having a busy airport at one of the most unique and important amenities for residents--the waterfront--makes little sense. The redevelopment of the airport into parkland would merit an international design competition for landscaping--one that might include the rest of the islands as well. It would be one of the greatest urban parks in the world.

But our waterfront has a sugar refinery, a cement factory and other industrial facilities. Does that make sense?
Also, if place where people live should not have airports, then don't the YYZ nearby residents suffer from the noise and pollution on a much larger scale as well? What makes people at Queens Quay/Bathurst more important?

Plus even with the most aggressive expansion plan, YTZ will not be a "full-fledged international airport". The world international goes beyond North America. A few flights into the US/Caribbean don't make it full fledged.

 

[ShonTron]

It already is an international airport. An international airport is simply an airport that is staffed by customs and immigration officers - nearly all in this category have scheduled flights, not necessarily international/cross-border ones. Sault Ste. Marie is an international airport, while 95% of its passengers are headed to YYZ or YTZ, it can handle general aviation from the US and seasonal sun destination charter flights.

 

[junctionist]

But our waterfront has a sugar refinery, a cement factory and other industrial facilities. Does that make sense?
Also, if place where people live should not have airports, then don't the YYZ nearby residents suffer from the noise and pollution on a much larger scale as well? What makes people at Queens Quay/Bathurst more important?

The industrial users are marginal at this point. The land should be parkland because the waterfront is a unique natural feature in the city that you can't recreate anywhere else. There is no waterfront at YYZ. The downtown core has little parkland and nothing else that compares to the waterfront and islands in the entire city.

 

[picard102]

The land should be parkland because the waterfront is a unique natural feature

A waterfront isn't unique. Nor especially natural considering it is mostly man made.

The downtown core has little parkland and nothing else that compares to the waterfront and islands in the entire city.

Does every part of a city require large amounts of parkland?

 

[Palma]

You want more parkland? Just reclaim more of the lake for it. The lake did end at Front street once. Things evolve. For people to assume since people are living there now they have a given right to have all industries gone is ridiculous. People always lived near the waterfront - from the 1800's along with industry. Who is to say in another 100 years people will be living down at the waterfront when all these condos made of glass become slums.

 

[ksun]

There was plans to make a large part of downtown east (what is current the Garden district) Toronto's Central Park, but the proposal was shot down, instead they created Allan gardens and Moss Park, both are tiny, along with a dozen homeless shelters that make the area one of the decrepit in the old city.

Everyone talks about parks, but Toronto doesn't have a decent one - one that can remotely be comparable to Central Park, or Golden Gate Park, or Stanley Park. I won't count Toronto islands because access is way more time consuming (and expensive: TTC+ ferry = $10) than those typical parks. High park is too far - closer to Etobicoke and is hardly good enough.

I agree with Palma - wanna more parkland downtown? You either expropriate a large land downtown east - which seems to be the last undeveloped place anywhere, or claim more land in Lake Ontario - nothing prevents us from doing that.

 

[ksun]

A waterfront isn't unique. Nor especially natural considering it is mostly man made.

Does every part of a city require large amounts of parkland?

I don't even want more parkland.
Because even if we do, they end up looking like dog parks with nothing but grass and trees such as Allan Garden and High Park than those urban squares with fountains, sculptures and benches for city people to enjoy and communicate.

St James Park or Berczy park are what we need, but 20 times larger, with more stuff than just grass and trees.

 

[junctionist]

A waterfront isn't unique. Nor especially natural considering it is mostly man made.

Not only is it unique in the geography of this metropolis, it's a very popular place for people to go and a highly desirable place to live. The lake is the most significant natural landmark in the city.

Does every part of a city require large amounts of parkland?

The part of the city that has a lot of people in a small area needs it. Access to park space is good for people's mental health. It's better to use the islands than to demolish historic districts.

 

[rdaner]

A major motive for proposing a well-thought out planning study of the Island and another possible location/configuration of the airport is to avoid wasting taxpayer funds on what is a third rate facility in a location that justifiably creates opposition from several groups that is only going to intensify as thousands more residents move into the area. I am a very strong supporter in the idea of an airport downtown and thank Mr. Deluce for persevering.

But I also adamantly believe that we can have a waterfront as appealing as any in the world and the airport as it currently sits is detrimental to that. Parochial navel-gazers will scoff at this but it can be done! Every user group on then Island can be accommodated in better facilities. If we are to spend a lot of taxpayer funds on transport improvements, we need to have a facility that can grow to justify the costs and also be far enough away to eliminate noise; then they can fly in 747s and no one would care. Another benefit to relocation is eliminating as much involvement as possible from the Port Authority in local planning matters which will let them return to the business of preventing salt and sugar ships from colliding and running a steak restaurant.

 

[muller877]

Everyone talks about parks, but Toronto doesn't have a decent one - one that can remotely be comparable to Central Park, or Golden Gate Park, or Stanley Park. I won't count Toronto islands because access is way more time consuming (and expensive: TTC+ ferry = $10) than those typical parks. High park is too far - closer to Etobicoke and is hardly good enough.

From the Island to High Park is about 6km (city hall is about 8km to High Park). From High Park to the edge of Etobicoke is about 3km. But the edge Etobicoke. To Etobicoke city hall is 14km. So High Park is closer to Toronto than Etobicoke.

From the World Trade Centre/Freedom Tower to Central Park is 10km. Central Park is about double the size of High Park.

Toronto does have a great park system. We have some amazing ravines and waterfront trails that complement local parks. Nature, picnic's, baseball, soccer, etc are only minutes away from almost everyone in Toronto. The people near the island airport are fortunate enough to have memorials (Ireland Park), history (Fort York), baseball fields, trails (waterfront trail all the way to Etobicoke), Little Norway Park and the future Ontario Place park all within spitting distance.

Just like Redpath and other industrial activites which keep a lot of people employed City Hall has to learn how to play with the hand they are dealt, not to try and drive employers out of the City. Porter has created a lot of jobs in Toronto and provide a service to the financial district which is booming. Let's not keep on trying to choke our economy.

 

[innsertnamehere]

^^ +1

High Park, Toronto Islands, Don Valley, Humber River area, etc. There is a gigantic public park right beside the airport...

 

[ChesterCopperpot]

A further delay?

Note: The Deputy Mayor has advised that he intends to move a motion to defer item EX38.1 - Request to Amend the Tripartite Agreement for Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport, to a special Executive Committee meeting on March 25, 2014 at 9:30 a.m. in Committee Room 1, second floor, City Hall.

 

[RC8]

Expanding the island airport is only slightly less ridiculous than this:

 

[innsertnamehere]

.... surely that is a joke?