Update on Pickering Airport development proposal

Transport Canada released a study on Monday July 11^th, 2011, that suggested an airport would be needed on federally owned land in northwest Pickering some time in the next 16 to 26 years. Under the scenarios envisioned by the study, Pearson will likely reach a maximum capacity of 54 million to 60 million passengers annually between 2027 and 2037, up from 32 million now. Meanwhile, the international airports in Hamilton and Waterloo could see as many as 10.5 million and 6.9 million annual passengers, respectively – exponential increases, given that both airports currently serve a combined total of just 500,000 people every year.

The proposed airport back in the 1970’s also met with serious protest from area residents and environmentalists. Plans were eventually scrapped, and instead Pearson airport was expanded. Presently, the group Land over Landings which is opposed to the airport development is working to protect farmland and to preserve community and heritage structures.

To read more about this story take a look at two newspaper articles:

Toronto Star article July 11, 2011

Globe and Mail article July 12, 2011

Just seven kilometers from the proposed airport site is Rouge Park, which is slated to become a national park. Residents and environmentalists question these two seemingly contradictory uses of the land in that area. To read more about this, check out the story here.