City Council agrees to RESA 1

City Council voted on October 9, 2024, to accept RESA 1, the "minimal landmass" option presented by Ports Toronto. Ports Toronto had hoped to get City approval of other options, RESA 2 or 3, both major expansions of the airport involving as much as three times as much landfill. The federal government requires run-off areas at the end of runways known as Runway End Safety Areas (RESAs), which in the case of the island airport must be built by July 14, 2027.

Ports Toronto also hoped to get City Council to agree on October 9 to an extension of the Tripartite Agreement, the lease and operating agreement at the airport, for 40 years beyond its present expiry in 2033, that is, until 2073. Council allowed a limited extension for as much as 12 years, but only if Ports Toronto satisfies the City it can't afford to build RESA 1 (cost: around $65 million) without the extension. But City Staff have already concluded it has the money, and we agree. 

Next step: will Ports Toronto defy the City, and insist on airport expansion now? They may. We’ll find out at Ports Toronto’s meeting at 2 pm or 6 pm, Tuesday, October 15, 2024. Come and have your say!

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City Council RESA vote coming

City Council will vote at its meeting October 9 - 11, 2024 whether to adopt the recommendations in the September 27 Staff Report .

It should do so! Here's our brief communication to Councillors as to why.

We believe and hope most Councillors will vote tomorrow to follow the Staff recommendations, adopted by Executive Committee, the Mayor and Councillor Ausma Malik: authorize the smallest, least intrusive option for Runway End Safety Areas, known as RESA 1, so as to deal with the pressing federal safety requirements now (RESAs must be built by July 14, 2027). As a separate matter, recommends Staff, take the time to study the bigger issues, such as whether the Tripartite Agreement, the airport land lease and operation agreement, should be extended in some form past its 2033 expiry, whether the airport should be expanded, including studies and public consultation exploring its adverse impacts and upsides, including we hope consideration and study of potential alternative uses of the land. 

It would be a crazy leap for Councillors to do what Ports Toronto and Nieuport want: reject city staff‘s recommendations, meaning: extend the tripartite agreement for 40 years NOW, and authorize the airport to build the other, bigger RESA options - allowing a huge non-safety-related airport expansion immediately. Ports Toronto and Nieuport demand Council vote to agree to all this NOW without any study of the local impacts, ecological and health issues, transportation efficiency, economic effects or consequences on future development in the Portlands and elsewhere.

We are deeply concerned that airport industry lobbyists have been misrepresenting the position of community representatives.

Contrary to the findings in the Staff Report, Ports Toronto claims it needs an extension of the Tripartite Agreement because it otherwise can't afford to build RESA 1. That's not true.

Safety First! Stop the island airport’s lobbying bullies!

Waterfront for All

 

Safety First! Stop the island airport’s lobbying bullies!

The federal government requires that Toronto Island Airport build Runway End Safety Areas (RESAs) in less than three years - by July 14, 2027.

City staff in an exhaustive report dated September 27, 2024 recommended focussing on safety for now; build the simplest, least expensive option that keeps people safe, the so-called RESA 1 option. Otherwise Ports Toronto would miss the deadline.

Staff recommended that bigger questions about the airport and its future should be studied over the next few years with lots of public consultation. Executive Committee of Council adopted that staff recommendation on October 1.

But Ports Toronto and Nieuport have been lobbying Councillors for months to ignore the staff report, and expand the airport NOW in ways NOT related to safety.

They demand Council allow a much bigger airport NOW.  Most of all, they demand an automatic extension of the Tripartite Agreement past its expiry in 2033 NOW - so the airport would exist and expand for an extra 40 years - without any public consultation or study.  

The matter goes to City Council, in a vote this coming Wednesday, October 9, 2024.

Call or write your councillor on Monday before this goes to City Council. Click here to check your Ward & Find your Councillor.

Tell him or her Council should adopt the Staff Report and its recommendations when Council votes on October 9!

Torontonians should NOT vote away their right to have a say on the future of the island airport!

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Help us continue to work for a Waterfront for All, where we all get a say! Please DONATE today.

Waterfront for All
https://www.waterfrontforall.ca/

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