A Toronto mayoral candidate says he plans on replacing Billy Bishop airport with a 215-acre park if elected.
In a news release issued Friday, Gil Penalosa said the new green space—which would be about one third the size of Central Park in New York—would help reduce emissions and increase access to nature.
“Torontonians are tired of waiting in long lines for a ferry to get to the islands and it’s time we gave everyone a free, direct connection from the waterfront,” he said.
Penalosa said he would keep the park accessible by maintaining the existing pedestrian tunnel.
The mayoral candidate cited changes to Ontario Place, which could include an entertainment centre and spa, as a reason why the upcoming council needs to make crucial decisions about green space.
“Parks are essential for physical and mental health. They protect the environment and encourage economic competitiveness,” Penalosa said.
“The Greater Toronto Area has the fastest growing urban population in industrialized nations. We will grow to 7.5 million from 5 million over the next 25 years and will need more green spaces. I will ensure that we give this property back to Torontonians.”
The City of Toronto has a lease with Billy Bishop airport until the end of 2033. The airport offers flights to more than 20 cities in Canada and the United States and transports about 2.8 million passengers per year. It’s operated by PortsToronto.
Deborah Wilson, the VP of communications and public affairs for PortsToronto, said the airport is “an important asset to Toronto.” At the same time, she also said that now is the time to discuss Billy Bishop’s future.
“With the Tripartite Agreement expiring in 2033, there is an opportunity to determine how the airport can continue on its current trajectory towards cleaner, greener, quieter operations, while also looking at ways to integrate community priorities into the vision for the area,” she said in an email to CTV News Toronto. “Now, more than ever, we should be looking at how we can build this city and improve its infrastructure, and not remove an important transportation asset that has current benefit and even greater future potential.”
Meanwhile Jenessa Crognali, the director of communications for incumbent mayoral candidate John Tory, said he has no intention of opening up discussion about the status of the airport if re-elected on Oct. 24. Crognali stressed that the agreement will remain in place “long after the next council term finishes” and there has been no indication that other levels of government are interested in replacing the infrastructure.
In March 2022, the federal government invested about $14 million into the airport to help offset revenue lost during the pandemic.
The airport was also a point of contention for then-Conservative leadership candidate Pierre Poilievre, who is now the official leader of the party. In July he said he would make changes to Toronto's Billy Bishop airport to allow jets to fly in and out of the downtown core.
