Toronto-Pickering Airport Project resurrected

[MarkD]

GTAA Draft Report on Pickering Airport

http://www.gtaa.com/Index.aspx?Sid=Node1/Node1.3/Node1.3.1&Tpl=1

I'm not familiar with the area around Buttonville and Oshawa airports - is Pickering a necessity or could Buttonville, Oshawa and Hamilton together carry the load for the near future?

Pearson's supposed to be good for 50m pax - some money thrown at public transit to YYZ, and a bridge to YTZ anyone? That and keeping YYZ's landing charges down - apparently they are seeking another 8% and IATA are going apesh!t.

http://www.newswire.ca/en/releases/archive/April2004/05/c8150.html

[lead zeppelin]

Eventually they plan to close Buttonville and Oshawa.

The draft plan is 120 pages, located at http://www.gtaa.com/Index.aspx?Sid=Node1/Node1.3&Tpl=1

[MarkD]

yeah, had a look through it.

I wonder how the current users of Buttonville and Oshawa feel about it, plus the YYZ GA users.

Seems to me the only ones cheering are the Mayor of Pickering, who sees increases in his property tax roll, and 407ETR...

[Ace Rimmer]

MarkD:

So what's happening with the planning aplication for the bridge at City Center? I guess construction wise it won't happen before next spring now...

[lead zeppelin]

The Mayor killed that bridge last year, I believe. YTZ is pretty quiet these days.

[MarkD]

Yes Mayor Dave "killed" the bridge but there is still some legal wrangling between Port Authority and the City over who pays for work already done on the bridge. This will end up in court and when it does the Mayor will have to face up to the fact that killing the bridge cost more than 2 cents.

The bridge would have meant Toronto-built Q400s operating (not jets - especially as Air Canada, who currently op DH8-100s to YOW for $400 a seat - put in a doomed app for jets just before decision time just to scare council). So jobs at Bombardier Toronto, jobs at City Airport all killed to keep people in cushy leases on the island happy.

If Air Canada wanted to put jets (presumably 146) on, as Flybe are proving in the UK Q400s do a good job at increasing profitability so maybe AC should get a few, or at least use Q300s. Fat chance when they are raking it in by keeping the supply down using older 37 seaters.

BAH!

The owner of Markham airport is not happy at being displaced by Pickering - how much will the GTAA spend of IATA landing fees buying him off?

Toronto Star (http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar/Layout/Article_Type1&call_pageid=971358637177&c=Article&cid=1100731811700)

[eight iron special]

BUILD IT!

Some clown on www.avcanada.ca is trying to get a petition to stop it. Another deluded leftist!

[Ace Rimmer]

That's a damn shame. I did a story about the place oh a year or so back about the time the planning was becoming a political football in the mayorial election...anyway couldn't be more downtown... talk about convienient (with a bridge).
Especially if the Q400 start up had happened (Regco was it? should remember did a story about them on the same trip).
As I recall and not going to my notes from then they had all their funding ducks in a row LOI's for 10 to 20 Q400s but the lynchpin to the whole thing was YTZ getting the bridge. Still as you all alude all those rich dudes on the island (not to mention in that apartment block built recently next to the mainland side of the ferry) appear to have won the day. But hey they're the ones who are going to miss out on the opportunity to flip down to NY or Montreal for a quick business trip or night out. Dummmmmm. Still never underestimate the lefty/NIMBY coalition.:mad: :mad:

[eight iron special]

Ya got that right, Ace - remember the Spadina expressway?