Letter to Meg St. John Project Manager, Waterfront Secretariat
22 September, 2024
Dear Meg St. John,
York Quay Neighbourhood Association (YQNA) on the Central Waterfront respectfully requests that any RESA to be built cause minimal disruption to the harbour and Waterfront neighbourhood.
We recognize that RESA is required by law, and YQNA of course supports safety. However, we do not support any other extension or expansion of the Island Airport beyond what is required by the RESA regulations.
In our view, this airport does not fit into a growing and densely populated downtown. It pollutes and adds to traffic, and it is not necessary with the fast UP Express to Pearson Airport. The economic value of the revitalized Waterfront far exceeds the Airport's value. The airport lands should at some point revert to the public, perhaps as a park or a combination of uses. Such conversions of boutique airports have revitalized many large cities in the world over the past decade.
About the RESA extensions to the runway: The smallest proposed RESA (so-called RESA 1) meets the federal requirements for aviation safety. We reluctantly accept it, but we are concerned that years of construction and noise will interfere with our vibrant harbour. First, we need a thorough environmental assessment of the proposal, so we can understand how much disruption there will be to business, residents and the environment.
The aviation requirement for RESAs has been known for years. We believe Ports Toronto has manipulated the RESA process to prevent sufficient time for proper public consultation. A project of this magnitude, which requires years of construction, deserves far more study.
Now it's forcing public consultation and a City Council vote into a few weeks. RESAs need
completion by 2027, but fortunately Ports Toronto has ample funds to pay for them. We would like this federal agency to treat Toronto with more respect.
About the Tripartite Agreement: Ports Toronto asks for an extension of the Tripartite Agreement, which currently expires in 2033. The YQNA strongly opposes such an extension.
The question of what should happen to the airport lands in 2033 is complex and contentious. We have nine years to do the necessary studies, which must examine many economic, social and ecological factors, including looking carefully at potential alternative land uses. Public consultations will be necessary. Any extension of the Tripartite Agreement is wholly inappropriate now before such studies or consultations have even begun.
There should be no amendment of the Tripartite Agreement in the current RESA process except, at most, a narrowly defined permission to do the minimum build-out needed to comply with the RESA regulations, nothing more.
Sincerely,
Ulla Colgrass
YQNA Planning Committee
CC Ausma Malik
Mayor Olivia Chow
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