Pickering Airport
Encyclopedia
Pickering Airport is a proposed international airport
for the Greater Toronto Area
, to be located in the city of Pickering, Ontario
, Canada
, 50 kilometres north-east of downtown Toronto
, and 65 kilometres east of Toronto Pearson International Airport
. The original plans for the airport were developed during the 1970s as part of a widespread federal government plan to improve air travel across Canada. Lands were expropriated in 1972, but opposition to the expansion plan was widespread. Things came to a head when the provincial government stated it would not build the roads or sewers needed to service the site, and the plans were shelved in 1975.
Since then the idea of opening the Airport has been floated several times, but the lands have remained undeveloped. During that time, the federal government has stepped out of direct operations of many Canadian airports, and the major Toronto airports passed control to the Greater Toronto Airports Authority
(GTAA). The GTAA has proposed opening the Pickering site as late as November 2004, estimating that the airport would cost approximately $2 billion, and it anticipated up to 11.9 million passengers per year (or 32,600 per day) by 2032. A "Needs Assessment Study" was completed by the Greater Toronto Airports Authority
for the federal government in May 2010. After a "due diligence review," Transport Canada
released the report in July 2011. The positive decision will trigger an environmental assessment
and a review of the costs and benefits
of the GTAA's proposal.
The GTAA has assumed it will be selected as constructor and operator, initially serving general aviation
but eventually including scheduled passenger service, to relieve congestion at Lester B. Pearson International Airport
west of Toronto. A technical analysis of the changes proposed by the GTAA's draft plan was expected from the federal government in 2005. A public notice was published in several newspapers on September 28, 2005 outlining zoning regulations.
The proposed airport would be located in the north west corner of the City of Pickering, Ontario
. Parts of the airport would spill over into the town of Markham
and township of Uxbridge, Ontario
. The closest communities are Claremont, Ontario
(within Pickering), a suburban village of around 2,800 residents located just to the NE of the airport lands, and the town of Stouffville in York Region. The small community of Altona
is completely within the airport lands.
In preparation for the anticipated airport, a significant fifteenth century Huron ancestral village—the Draper Site
--was completely excavated in 1975 and 1978.
(now a ghost town
), for the project. The Pickering project was postponed due to opposition by community activists and environmentalists. However, the government did not resell the Pickering land to its original owners, maintaining the ability to revive the project in the future.
To this day, the original owners have continued to lease the land from the government. 3,051 hectares have been protected as green space in perpetuity, including a corridor of land connecting the Rouge Park
with the Oak Ridges Moraine
.
A similar major land expropriation took place north of Montreal
for the Montréal-Mirabel International Airport
, which opened in 1975, the same year that the Pickering project was postponed.
Transport Canada revived plans for the Pickering Airport in 2001 and the federal government has revived the land's designation as an airport site citing a number of reasons such as:
Once again, there is significant community opposition to the airport, including the umbrella group V.O.C.A.L. (Voters Organized to Cancel the Airport Lands, www.vocalvoice.ca). There is also significant opposition to the airport within the general aviation
community, since the construction of the Pickering Airport will automatically cause the closure of the Markham Airport
, which is located partly on the airport lands, and will cause the closure of Buttonville Airport
as well.
Only Transport Canada, or the city of Oshawa in conjunction with Transport Canada, would have the authority to order the closure of the airport, and would not happen without significant opposition from local general aviation pilots, and the Canadian Owners and Pilots Association
. The GTAA's anticipation of Oshawa's closure is based on its belief that it is operationally and physically constrained and is therefore unsuitable as a Pearson reliever.
In the draft plan presented by the GTAA in 2004, mixing the displaced general aviation traffic with increased heavy passenger jet traffic also concerns many small aircraft pilots who would have no choice but to use the new airport, as larger airports tend to be less GA friendly, and more difficult for student pilot training.
The Pickering Airport could also affect the future of the Toronto Island airport and to a lesser degree, Hamilton Airport, more than 100 km to the southwest.
Plans for a Pickering airport have also received opposition from Transport 2000 Canada
, who argue that a high-speed rail service in the existing Quebec City – Windsor Corridor would eliminate the need for an expensive new airport (since a large number of current and anticipated air travellers in the GTA would be served by such a service), while causing significantly less air pollution, community disruption, and loss of farmland. Proponents of high-speed rail expansion point to its success in Europe, where services such as Intercity-Express, TGV
, Thalys
, and Eurostar
have drastically reduced the need for some short-haul (less than 3-hour) air routes.
Airport
An airport is a location where aircraft such as fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters, and blimps take off and land. Aircraft may be stored or maintained at an airport...
for the Greater Toronto Area
Greater Toronto Area
The Greater Toronto Area is the largest metropolitan area in Canada, with a 2006 census population of 5.5 million. The Greater Toronto Area is usually defined as the central city of Toronto, along with four regional municipalities surrounding it: Durham, Halton, Peel, and York...
, to be located in the city of Pickering, Ontario
Pickering, Ontario
Pickering is a city located in Southern Ontario, Canada immediately east of Toronto in Durham Region. It is part of the Greater Toronto Area, the largest metropolitan area in Canada.- Early Period :...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
, 50 kilometres north-east of downtown Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, and 65 kilometres east of Toronto Pearson International Airport
Toronto Pearson International Airport
Toronto Pearson International Airport is an international airport serving Toronto, Ontario, Canada; its metropolitan area; and the Golden Horseshoe, an urban agglomeration that is home to 8.1 million people – approximately 25% of Canada's population...
. The original plans for the airport were developed during the 1970s as part of a widespread federal government plan to improve air travel across Canada. Lands were expropriated in 1972, but opposition to the expansion plan was widespread. Things came to a head when the provincial government stated it would not build the roads or sewers needed to service the site, and the plans were shelved in 1975.
Since then the idea of opening the Airport has been floated several times, but the lands have remained undeveloped. During that time, the federal government has stepped out of direct operations of many Canadian airports, and the major Toronto airports passed control to the Greater Toronto Airports Authority
Greater Toronto Airports Authority
The Greater Toronto Airports Authority operates Toronto Pearson International Airport in Mississauga, Ontario, west of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The GTAA operates Canada's largest airport facility with a traffic of 31.0 million passengers in 2006. The authority's headquarters are on the airport...
(GTAA). The GTAA has proposed opening the Pickering site as late as November 2004, estimating that the airport would cost approximately $2 billion, and it anticipated up to 11.9 million passengers per year (or 32,600 per day) by 2032. A "Needs Assessment Study" was completed by the Greater Toronto Airports Authority
Greater Toronto Airports Authority
The Greater Toronto Airports Authority operates Toronto Pearson International Airport in Mississauga, Ontario, west of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The GTAA operates Canada's largest airport facility with a traffic of 31.0 million passengers in 2006. The authority's headquarters are on the airport...
for the federal government in May 2010. After a "due diligence review," Transport Canada
Transport Canada
Transport Canada is the department within the government of Canada which is responsible for developing regulations, policies and services of transportation in Canada. It is part of the Transportation, Infrastructure and Communities portfolio...
released the report in July 2011. The positive decision will trigger an environmental assessment
Environmental impact assessment
An environmental impact assessment is an assessment of the possible positive or negative impact that a proposed project may have on the environment, together consisting of the natural, social and economic aspects....
and a review of the costs and benefits
Cost-benefit analysis
Cost–benefit analysis , sometimes called benefit–cost analysis , is a systematic process for calculating and comparing benefits and costs of a project for two purposes: to determine if it is a sound investment , to see how it compares with alternate projects...
of the GTAA's proposal.
The GTAA has assumed it will be selected as constructor and operator, initially serving general aviation
General aviation
General aviation is one of the two categories of civil aviation. It refers to all flights other than military and scheduled airline and regular cargo flights, both private and commercial. General aviation flights range from gliders and powered parachutes to large, non-scheduled cargo jet flights...
but eventually including scheduled passenger service, to relieve congestion at Lester B. Pearson International Airport
Toronto Pearson International Airport
Toronto Pearson International Airport is an international airport serving Toronto, Ontario, Canada; its metropolitan area; and the Golden Horseshoe, an urban agglomeration that is home to 8.1 million people – approximately 25% of Canada's population...
west of Toronto. A technical analysis of the changes proposed by the GTAA's draft plan was expected from the federal government in 2005. A public notice was published in several newspapers on September 28, 2005 outlining zoning regulations.
Site
Pickering, Ontario
Pickering is a city located in Southern Ontario, Canada immediately east of Toronto in Durham Region. It is part of the Greater Toronto Area, the largest metropolitan area in Canada.- Early Period :...
. Parts of the airport would spill over into the town of Markham
Markham, Ontario
Markham is a town in the Regional Municipality of York, located within the Greater Toronto Area of Southern Ontario, Canada. The population was 261,573 at the 2006 Canadian census...
and township of Uxbridge, Ontario
Uxbridge, Ontario
Uxbridge is a township in south-central Ontario, Canada, in the Regional Municipality of Durham, in the Greater Toronto Area.The main centre in the township is the namesake community of Uxbridge...
. The closest communities are Claremont, Ontario
Claremont, Ontario
Claremont is a Southern Ontario community located in the north part of the City of Pickering, Ontario, Canada.It is one of many rural villages with suburban type housing mixed with older, historic buildings in the Greater Toronto Area. Brock Road, the main north-south Regional road in the area was...
(within Pickering), a suburban village of around 2,800 residents located just to the NE of the airport lands, and the town of Stouffville in York Region. The small community of Altona
Altona, Ontario
Altona is a ghost town located in Pickering, Ontario, at Sideline 30 and the Pickering-Uxbridge Town Line. It is just east of Whitchurch-Stouffville, and was named after Altona, now a borough of Hamburg, Germany....
is completely within the airport lands.
In preparation for the anticipated airport, a significant fifteenth century Huron ancestral village—the Draper Site
Draper Site, Wendat (Huron) Ancestral Village
The Draper Site is a Precontact period Huron-Wendat ancestral village located on a tributary of West Duffins Creek in present-day Pickering, Ontario, approximately 35 kilometres north-east of Toronto....
--was completely excavated in 1975 and 1978.
History
In 1972, the federal government (which then owned and operated all major Canadian airports) expropriated 7430 hectares of farmland, including some hamlets like AltonaAltona, Ontario
Altona is a ghost town located in Pickering, Ontario, at Sideline 30 and the Pickering-Uxbridge Town Line. It is just east of Whitchurch-Stouffville, and was named after Altona, now a borough of Hamburg, Germany....
(now a ghost town
Ghost town
A ghost town is an abandoned town or city. A town often becomes a ghost town because the economic activity that supported it has failed, or due to natural or human-caused disasters such as floods, government actions, uncontrolled lawlessness, war, or nuclear disasters...
), for the project. The Pickering project was postponed due to opposition by community activists and environmentalists. However, the government did not resell the Pickering land to its original owners, maintaining the ability to revive the project in the future.
To this day, the original owners have continued to lease the land from the government. 3,051 hectares have been protected as green space in perpetuity, including a corridor of land connecting the Rouge Park
Rouge Park
Rouge Park will become an urban national park located along the border of Toronto and Pickering, Ontario, Canada. It will be Canada's first national park within a municipality....
with the Oak Ridges Moraine
Oak Ridges Moraine
The Oak Ridges Moraine is an ecologically important geological landform in the Mixedwood Plains of south-central Ontario, Canada. The moraine covers a geographic area of between Caledon and Rice Lake, near Peterborough...
.
A similar major land expropriation took place north of Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
for the Montréal-Mirabel International Airport
Montréal-Mirabel International Airport
Montréal-Mirabel International Airport, originally called Montréal International Airport and widely known simply as Mirabel is an airport located in Mirabel, Quebec, Canada, northwest of Montreal and was opened October 4, 1975...
, which opened in 1975, the same year that the Pickering project was postponed.
Transport Canada revived plans for the Pickering Airport in 2001 and the federal government has revived the land's designation as an airport site citing a number of reasons such as:
- Toronto Pearson International AirportToronto Pearson International AirportToronto Pearson International Airport is an international airport serving Toronto, Ontario, Canada; its metropolitan area; and the Golden Horseshoe, an urban agglomeration that is home to 8.1 million people – approximately 25% of Canada's population...
(CYYZ) will be unable to indefinitely be the sole provider for the bulk of Toronto's commercial air traffic, although critics argue Hamilton International Airport has more than enough capacity to accommodate any future traffic. - Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport (CYTZ) is limited to smaller light jets (MedevacMEDEVACMedical evacuation, often termed Medevac or Medivac, is the timely and efficient movement and en route care provided by medical personnel to the wounded being evacuated from the battlefield or to injured patients being evacuated from the scene of an accident to receiving medical facilities using...
flights only) and propeller planes. There is local public opposition to increased jet traffic, as well as the absence of a fixed link to the city core and surrounding transportation architecture. However, those opposed to the plan note that Porter AirlinesPorter AirlinesPorter Airlines is a regional airline headquartered at Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport on the Toronto Islands in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Porter operates regularly scheduled flights between Toronto and locations in Canada and the United States using Canadian-built Bombardier Dash-8 Q 400...
and Air Canada JazzAir Canada JazzJazz Aviation LP is a Canadian regional airline based at Halifax Stanfield International Airport in Enfield and Halifax Regional Municipality, Nova Scotia, and is a wholly owned subsidiary of Chorus Aviation....
fly out of CYTZ, and state that Buttonville, and Oshawa Airports are happy to accommodate light jets and propeller planes. - Toronto/Buttonville Municipal AirportToronto/Buttonville Municipal AirportButtonville Municipal Airport or Toronto/Buttonville Municipal Airport is a medium-sized airport in Buttonville, Ontario, Canada, within Markham, bordering Richmond Hill and north of downtown Toronto. It is operated by Toronto Airways Limited. Due to its proximity to Toronto's suburbs, there are...
(CYKZ) is also limited to smaller commuter aircraft and currently serves mostly privately based business travel. Upgrading the airport for longer runaways is unachievable because of urbanization around the airport. The GTAA is hoping this airport might be closed if Pickering is approved, and in 2009 announced the end of its $1.5 million annual subsidy to Buttonville for handling overflow general aviation traffic from Toronto Pearson.http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/article/593863 The airport is slated to close by 2015.http://www.thestar.com/news/article/881960--buttonville-airport-to-close?bn=1 - Hamilton/John C. Munro International AirportHamilton/John C. Munro International AirportJohn C. Munro Hamilton International Airport or Hamilton International, , is an international airport in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. It is named for John C...
(CYHM) is being claimed by the GTAA as too far from the city of Toronto core to be practical as a major hub for travellers, although critics point out that reliever airports for Boston, Massachusetts (T.F. Green State Airport in Providence, Rhode IslandProvidence, Rhode IslandProvidence is the capital and most populous city of Rhode Island and was one of the first cities established in the United States. Located in Providence County, it is the third largest city in the New England region...
and Manchester-Boston Regional AirportManchester-Boston Regional AirportManchester-Boston Regional Airport , commonly referred to simply as "Manchester Airport," is a public airport located three miles south of the central business district of Manchester, New Hampshire on the county line of Hillsborough and Rockingham counties...
in Manchester, New HampshireManchester, New HampshireManchester is the largest city in the U.S. state of New Hampshire, the tenth largest city in New England, and the largest city in northern New England, an area comprising the states of Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont. It is in Hillsborough County along the banks of the Merrimack River, which...
) are further from the Boston city centre than Munro Airport is from the Toronto city centre, and are utilized effectively.
Controversy
Critics have pointed to the expansion being undertaken at Toronto Pearson International Airport, charging that the current Pearson project is overzealous as well as lessening any need for the new Pickering Airport. The GTAA has publicly stated that the redevelopment of Pearson was necessary and timely. The GTAA maintains that Toronto Pearson may reach its capacity of 50 million passengers in the mid-2020s.Once again, there is significant community opposition to the airport, including the umbrella group V.O.C.A.L. (Voters Organized to Cancel the Airport Lands, www.vocalvoice.ca). There is also significant opposition to the airport within the general aviation
General aviation
General aviation is one of the two categories of civil aviation. It refers to all flights other than military and scheduled airline and regular cargo flights, both private and commercial. General aviation flights range from gliders and powered parachutes to large, non-scheduled cargo jet flights...
community, since the construction of the Pickering Airport will automatically cause the closure of the Markham Airport
Toronto/Markham Airport
Markham Airport or Toronto/Markham Airport, , is a private airport operating north of Markham, Ontario, Canada near Toronto.The airport is owned and operated by Markham Airport Inc. and owned by a numbered Ontario company owned by the Thomson family of Toronto. The airport is not part of the...
, which is located partly on the airport lands, and will cause the closure of Buttonville Airport
Toronto/Buttonville Municipal Airport
Buttonville Municipal Airport or Toronto/Buttonville Municipal Airport is a medium-sized airport in Buttonville, Ontario, Canada, within Markham, bordering Richmond Hill and north of downtown Toronto. It is operated by Toronto Airways Limited. Due to its proximity to Toronto's suburbs, there are...
as well.
Only Transport Canada, or the city of Oshawa in conjunction with Transport Canada, would have the authority to order the closure of the airport, and would not happen without significant opposition from local general aviation pilots, and the Canadian Owners and Pilots Association
Canadian Owners and Pilots Association
The Canadian Owners and Pilots Association is a federally registered not-for-profit association that provides information and advocacy services for Canadian pilots who fly for non-commercial purposes...
. The GTAA's anticipation of Oshawa's closure is based on its belief that it is operationally and physically constrained and is therefore unsuitable as a Pearson reliever.
In the draft plan presented by the GTAA in 2004, mixing the displaced general aviation traffic with increased heavy passenger jet traffic also concerns many small aircraft pilots who would have no choice but to use the new airport, as larger airports tend to be less GA friendly, and more difficult for student pilot training.
The Pickering Airport could also affect the future of the Toronto Island airport and to a lesser degree, Hamilton Airport, more than 100 km to the southwest.
Plans for a Pickering airport have also received opposition from Transport 2000 Canada
Transport 2000 Canada
Transport 2000 Canada is a non-profit, consumer-based organization that promotes sustainable transport through advocacy and education. It is concerned with all modes of public transport, such as passenger train service, aviation including air safety, and urban transit.The association functions as a...
, who argue that a high-speed rail service in the existing Quebec City – Windsor Corridor would eliminate the need for an expensive new airport (since a large number of current and anticipated air travellers in the GTA would be served by such a service), while causing significantly less air pollution, community disruption, and loss of farmland. Proponents of high-speed rail expansion point to its success in Europe, where services such as Intercity-Express, TGV
TGV
The TGV is France's high-speed rail service, currently operated by SNCF Voyages, the long-distance rail branch of SNCF, the French national rail operator....
, Thalys
Thalys
Thalys is an international high-speed train operator originally built around the high-speed line between Paris and Brussels. This track is shared with Eurostar trains that go from Paris or Brussels to London via Lille and the Channel Tunnel and with French domestic TGV trains. Thalys reaches...
, and Eurostar
Eurostar
Eurostar is a high-speed railway service connecting London with Paris and Brussels. All its trains traverse the Channel Tunnel between England and France, owned and operated separately by Eurotunnel....
have drastically reduced the need for some short-haul (less than 3-hour) air routes.
External links
- Transport Canada, Pickering Lands Internet Site, and Pickering Airport Site Zoning Regulations
- Greater Toronto Airports Authority, Pickering Airport Draft Plan Report, 2002.
- Transport 2000 Ontario Response to GTAA Draft Plan
- V.O.C.A.L. - Voters Organized to Cancel the Airport Lands
- Land Over Landings - The Stewardship Group
- Airport World, Toronto area will need a new airport from 2027 onwards