new startup Toronto Island
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Nothing up-to-date (sorry), but you might take a look at these older news bulletins:
February 8/03
April 24/03
June 17/03
See also (for whatever it may be worth
) this anti-Deluce critique.
February 8/03
April 24/03
June 17/03
See also (for whatever it may be worth
) this anti-Deluce critique.
Join Date: Sep 2003
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Here are two leads for some updated news and commentary on that story. Basically, there is bridge construction issue (and others) but an order has been placed for some Dash 8 400s with options on a bunch more ("Mr. Deluce has also signed a contract with Bombardier to buy 10 turboprops, with an option on 15 more." see the article below).
"KILLING ISLAND BRIDGE WOULD COST CITY
Eric Reguly, Globe and Mail, October 30, 2003, Page: B2"
"HARMONY BETWEEN AIRPORT, WATERFRONT
Toronto Star (Letter to Editor), October 29, 2003, Page: A25"
"KILLING ISLAND BRIDGE WOULD COST CITY
Eric Reguly, Globe and Mail, October 30, 2003, Page: B2"
"HARMONY BETWEEN AIRPORT, WATERFRONT
Toronto Star (Letter to Editor), October 29, 2003, Page: A25"
Join Date: Oct 2003
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The latest...
Here's the latest from the Globe & Mail:
Port CEO rips Martin for bridge comments
By KATHERINE HARDING
UPDATED AT 10:57 AM EST Friday, Nov. 28, 2003
Liberal Leader Paul Martin was wrong to say he would defer to Toronto City Council on the future of the island airport bridge, according to the head of the Toronto Port Authority.
"He said it at a press conference. He doesn't know the facts. He doesn't know the file. He hasn't been briefed," Lisa Raitt, the port authority's chief executive officer and harbourmaster, told The Globe and Mail yesterday.
Ms. Raitt, who first joined the authority in 1999 as its corporate secretary and general counsel, also backed away from her recent comment that the federal agency would not rule out suing Ottawa if it helped the city kill the proposed bridge to the island airport.
"It was taken out of context," she said of her interview with a local television reporter. She said the possibility of a lawsuit was "ruled out."
Earlier this week, the port authority announced it would sue the city for more than $1-billion and recover 240 hectares of waterfront land if the council reversed its previous decision to go ahead with the 122-metre bridge.
Yesterday, two more large lawsuit threats were added to the growing pile, including one from the new airline that wants to operate at the island airport, if and only if the bridge is built.
Mayor-elect David Miller is planning to use the first meeting of the new council on Dec. 2 to stop the project, which he says would ruin the waterfront by attracting more planes. The former councillor, who made killing the bridge the key platform of his election campaign, would need to win a straight majority vote.
Regional Airlines Holdings Co., which is owned by Toronto businessman Robert Deluce, notified the city that it could face a $500-million lawsuit if it delayed or reversed its decision on the bridge.
Stolport Corp., an aircraft handling and airport service company that operates at the 64-year-old airport, also warned the city that killing the bridge would prompt it to launch a $95.9-million lawsuit.
"We have a very strong legal opinion from a reputable firm that says that any attempt by the city to repeal the existing approval is both illegal and invalid," Mr. Deluce said. He signed a memorandum of understanding with the port authority to operate a regional airline 13 months ago.
"The last thing I want is a lawsuit. I'm certainly not looking for a fight. I'm simply trying to follow through on the plans which we have," he said.
Mr. Deluce's plan is to fly as many as 900,000 passengers a year to 17 Canadian and U.S. cities. Currently, fewer than 100,000 people use the island airport, which lost $1-million last year.
Mr. Deluce said he has sunk a lot of money and time -- he estimated more than three years -- into the airline. Last April, the former president of Canada 3000 Inc. signed a letter of understanding with Bombardier for 10 firm orders of its Q400 turboprop plane, with an option for 15 more. The order is estimated to be worth $500-million.
Anthony Pappalardo, Stolport's vice-president, said the city cannot "flip-flop" on this issue and not end up paying for it.
"We're outraged by this type of behaviour," he said. "How can any businessman or investor take comfort by a city that says it won't honour any of its agreements?"
Mr. Miller, who will officially become mayor on Dec. 1, is not troubled by the recent lawsuit threats.
"This is an orchestrated campaign to scare members of council, and I think it's going to stiffen councillors' backbones because the claims are obviously ludicrous," he said.
Mr. Miller added that the agreement to build the bridge was formalized only on Oct. 30, and that it's "laughable and not worthy of comment" that Mr. Deluce's company claims it has already racked up $500-million worth of damages.
"My understanding [from the city's legal department] is that by making a request to the federal government to put back an agreement that existed for 20 years, you aren't creating a legal risk," he said, adding that a possible legal fight over the issue would not cost the city "anything substantial."
Large-scale changes, including building a bridge or allowing jets, at the island airport are subject to a tripartite agreement, made in 1983 at the request of the city, with Ottawa and the former Toronto Harbour Commission, now the Toronto Port Authority.
Earlier this month, Mr. Martin told reporters he would support Mr. Miller's election promise to stop the bridge.
"We've got a new mayor; we've got a new council which is a mixture of the old and certainly the new, and very, very clearly, we will take our cue from the municipal government," he said on Nov. 13.
Port CEO rips Martin for bridge comments
By KATHERINE HARDING
UPDATED AT 10:57 AM EST Friday, Nov. 28, 2003
Liberal Leader Paul Martin was wrong to say he would defer to Toronto City Council on the future of the island airport bridge, according to the head of the Toronto Port Authority.
"He said it at a press conference. He doesn't know the facts. He doesn't know the file. He hasn't been briefed," Lisa Raitt, the port authority's chief executive officer and harbourmaster, told The Globe and Mail yesterday.
Ms. Raitt, who first joined the authority in 1999 as its corporate secretary and general counsel, also backed away from her recent comment that the federal agency would not rule out suing Ottawa if it helped the city kill the proposed bridge to the island airport.
"It was taken out of context," she said of her interview with a local television reporter. She said the possibility of a lawsuit was "ruled out."
Earlier this week, the port authority announced it would sue the city for more than $1-billion and recover 240 hectares of waterfront land if the council reversed its previous decision to go ahead with the 122-metre bridge.
Yesterday, two more large lawsuit threats were added to the growing pile, including one from the new airline that wants to operate at the island airport, if and only if the bridge is built.
Mayor-elect David Miller is planning to use the first meeting of the new council on Dec. 2 to stop the project, which he says would ruin the waterfront by attracting more planes. The former councillor, who made killing the bridge the key platform of his election campaign, would need to win a straight majority vote.
Regional Airlines Holdings Co., which is owned by Toronto businessman Robert Deluce, notified the city that it could face a $500-million lawsuit if it delayed or reversed its decision on the bridge.
Stolport Corp., an aircraft handling and airport service company that operates at the 64-year-old airport, also warned the city that killing the bridge would prompt it to launch a $95.9-million lawsuit.
"We have a very strong legal opinion from a reputable firm that says that any attempt by the city to repeal the existing approval is both illegal and invalid," Mr. Deluce said. He signed a memorandum of understanding with the port authority to operate a regional airline 13 months ago.
"The last thing I want is a lawsuit. I'm certainly not looking for a fight. I'm simply trying to follow through on the plans which we have," he said.
Mr. Deluce's plan is to fly as many as 900,000 passengers a year to 17 Canadian and U.S. cities. Currently, fewer than 100,000 people use the island airport, which lost $1-million last year.
Mr. Deluce said he has sunk a lot of money and time -- he estimated more than three years -- into the airline. Last April, the former president of Canada 3000 Inc. signed a letter of understanding with Bombardier for 10 firm orders of its Q400 turboprop plane, with an option for 15 more. The order is estimated to be worth $500-million.
Anthony Pappalardo, Stolport's vice-president, said the city cannot "flip-flop" on this issue and not end up paying for it.
"We're outraged by this type of behaviour," he said. "How can any businessman or investor take comfort by a city that says it won't honour any of its agreements?"
Mr. Miller, who will officially become mayor on Dec. 1, is not troubled by the recent lawsuit threats.
"This is an orchestrated campaign to scare members of council, and I think it's going to stiffen councillors' backbones because the claims are obviously ludicrous," he said.
Mr. Miller added that the agreement to build the bridge was formalized only on Oct. 30, and that it's "laughable and not worthy of comment" that Mr. Deluce's company claims it has already racked up $500-million worth of damages.
"My understanding [from the city's legal department] is that by making a request to the federal government to put back an agreement that existed for 20 years, you aren't creating a legal risk," he said, adding that a possible legal fight over the issue would not cost the city "anything substantial."
Large-scale changes, including building a bridge or allowing jets, at the island airport are subject to a tripartite agreement, made in 1983 at the request of the city, with Ottawa and the former Toronto Harbour Commission, now the Toronto Port Authority.
Earlier this month, Mr. Martin told reporters he would support Mr. Miller's election promise to stop the bridge.
"We've got a new mayor; we've got a new council which is a mixture of the old and certainly the new, and very, very clearly, we will take our cue from the municipal government," he said on Nov. 13.
