Canada's rejection of Billy Bishop plan prevents waterfront ‘destruction’: advocates

The federal government’s decision to halt Ontario’s plan for a major expansion of Billy Bishop airport will guard Toronto’s waterfront against serious setbacks to its revitalization, advocates say — while proponents of the project dub the move “disappointing.” The project would involve increased pollution and “massive destruction” of the Toronto Islands after billions of dollars invested in lakefront rehabilitation over the past couple of decades, said Tim Gray, executive director of Environmental Defence. He pointed to the nearly kilometre of lakefill needed to build a runway and taxiways as well as the “gridlock” and aircraft emissions the additional plane traffic would cause on shore. “The federal government listened to the people of Toronto who organized by the tens of thousands to push back against this proposal,” Gray said.