skidcanuck
4th Dec 2003, 09:24
Council votes to cancel airport bridge
City politicians 'chose a future for our waterfront,' says mayor
CURTIS RUSH
STAFF REPORTER THESTAR.COM
The Toronto island airport bridge is apparently dead. City council voted 32-12 tonight, after a daylong debate, to ask the federal government to cancel the project. A proposal to defer the vote on the controversial link failed to win sufficient support among councillors.
"I think this was a highly significant decision for Toronto," Mayor David Miller told Toronto One TV after the vote. "It chose a future for our waterfront."
Miller noted prime-minister-to-be Paul Martin has made it "very clear" he will support the city's decision.
The vote is a victory for the newly elected mayor who campaigned on a pledge to kill the bridge at the first meeting of council. It's also a reversal of council's decision in June to go ahead with the construction of the bridge designed to pave the way for a new startup airline with expanded flights at the small airport.
"I've done exactly what I said I'd do," Miller told reporters after the vote.
Several councillors warned that reversing the decision would put the city on the hook for expensive lawsuits. In fact, the port authority, Regional Airlines Holdings Inc. (REGCO) and businesses that operate out of the island airport have already threatened to sue the city for more than $1 billion.
After much rancorous debate this morning, councillors began arguing that public hearings should be held on whether to kill the bridge while others argued to go ahead today with the vote.
The motion came after much heated debate about whether Miller should try to rush through his decision to kill the island bridge.
Miller was reminded that he swept to victory with the promise for open government, and it was suggested that he shouldn't be trying to push through this decision only one day after officially becoming mayor.
Howard Moscoe was one of the councillors arguing against the deferral, saying that "this is an odious tactic to back us into a liability situation."
Councillor Olivia Chow supported a move to go right to the vote, saying that such a deferral would amount to "a waste of more money."
Throughout the long day, the council chamber was packed with both supporters and opponents of the bridge. At times, the chamber was overflowing with residents wearing T-shirts and buttons proclaiming their differing positions - "Build the Bridge" and "Clean, Green Waterfront" - cheering and booing at the same time so that Miller had to warn them to be quiet.
Turnout was so high that access to the chamber had to be restricted, with some people forced to watch the proceedings on closed-circuit television in the rotunda. Security was tighter than usual with police officers called in as reinforcements in case the debate got rowdy.
Earlier in the day, Miller faced intense grilling at the special council meeting called to debate the issue. Councillors challenged the new mayor's stance in a question-and-answer session that grew heated at times, with many of the mayor's council opponents accusing him of dodging their questions.
Miller emphasized that it is his vision that the waterfront should be for the people and not planes.
When asked about the threat of lawsuits, he said it was his understanding that "there is no real risk of liability to the city if we request the federal government to act" and ask the Toronto Port Authority, a federal agency, to amend the current contract.
Miller showed sympathy to the workers who would lose jobs if the bridge didn't go ahead.
"They should fight for their jobs," he said in reference to the CAW representatives in attendance. "But we have to look at the overall public interest."
On the economic impact of a city decision to kill the bridge, Miller said that jobs would be lost but that more jobs would be created in the long term with the revitalization of the waterfront.
With 14 new councillors elected on Nov. 10, many of the new members didn't have the chance to study or debate the issue previously, but Miller rejected further discussion on the issue.
"We just had a large public consultation on Nov. 10 (the election)," he said.
"It was debated throughout the election," he said. "My mandate (on his key election platform to kill the bridge) was clear and I have an obligation."
Miller said he has talked to Paul Martin, who becomes prime minister Dec. 12, as well as to federal Transport Minister David Collenette, and maintained he is confident "they will respect the wishes of the people of Toronto."
with files from Star staff
City politicians 'chose a future for our waterfront,' says mayor
CURTIS RUSH
STAFF REPORTER THESTAR.COM
The Toronto island airport bridge is apparently dead. City council voted 32-12 tonight, after a daylong debate, to ask the federal government to cancel the project. A proposal to defer the vote on the controversial link failed to win sufficient support among councillors.
"I think this was a highly significant decision for Toronto," Mayor David Miller told Toronto One TV after the vote. "It chose a future for our waterfront."
Miller noted prime-minister-to-be Paul Martin has made it "very clear" he will support the city's decision.
The vote is a victory for the newly elected mayor who campaigned on a pledge to kill the bridge at the first meeting of council. It's also a reversal of council's decision in June to go ahead with the construction of the bridge designed to pave the way for a new startup airline with expanded flights at the small airport.
"I've done exactly what I said I'd do," Miller told reporters after the vote.
Several councillors warned that reversing the decision would put the city on the hook for expensive lawsuits. In fact, the port authority, Regional Airlines Holdings Inc. (REGCO) and businesses that operate out of the island airport have already threatened to sue the city for more than $1 billion.
After much rancorous debate this morning, councillors began arguing that public hearings should be held on whether to kill the bridge while others argued to go ahead today with the vote.
The motion came after much heated debate about whether Miller should try to rush through his decision to kill the island bridge.
Miller was reminded that he swept to victory with the promise for open government, and it was suggested that he shouldn't be trying to push through this decision only one day after officially becoming mayor.
Howard Moscoe was one of the councillors arguing against the deferral, saying that "this is an odious tactic to back us into a liability situation."
Councillor Olivia Chow supported a move to go right to the vote, saying that such a deferral would amount to "a waste of more money."
Throughout the long day, the council chamber was packed with both supporters and opponents of the bridge. At times, the chamber was overflowing with residents wearing T-shirts and buttons proclaiming their differing positions - "Build the Bridge" and "Clean, Green Waterfront" - cheering and booing at the same time so that Miller had to warn them to be quiet.
Turnout was so high that access to the chamber had to be restricted, with some people forced to watch the proceedings on closed-circuit television in the rotunda. Security was tighter than usual with police officers called in as reinforcements in case the debate got rowdy.
Earlier in the day, Miller faced intense grilling at the special council meeting called to debate the issue. Councillors challenged the new mayor's stance in a question-and-answer session that grew heated at times, with many of the mayor's council opponents accusing him of dodging their questions.
Miller emphasized that it is his vision that the waterfront should be for the people and not planes.
When asked about the threat of lawsuits, he said it was his understanding that "there is no real risk of liability to the city if we request the federal government to act" and ask the Toronto Port Authority, a federal agency, to amend the current contract.
Miller showed sympathy to the workers who would lose jobs if the bridge didn't go ahead.
"They should fight for their jobs," he said in reference to the CAW representatives in attendance. "But we have to look at the overall public interest."
On the economic impact of a city decision to kill the bridge, Miller said that jobs would be lost but that more jobs would be created in the long term with the revitalization of the waterfront.
With 14 new councillors elected on Nov. 10, many of the new members didn't have the chance to study or debate the issue previously, but Miller rejected further discussion on the issue.
"We just had a large public consultation on Nov. 10 (the election)," he said.
"It was debated throughout the election," he said. "My mandate (on his key election platform to kill the bridge) was clear and I have an obligation."
Miller said he has talked to Paul Martin, who becomes prime minister Dec. 12, as well as to federal Transport Minister David Collenette, and maintained he is confident "they will respect the wishes of the people of Toronto."
with files from Star staff