Jasmine Attfield

What if I told you a single decision being made right now could change Toronto's waterfront forever?   Doug Ford has proposed bringing jets to the Toronto Islands, impacting air quality, traffic congestion and housing targets. It would pave a massive runway extension on the lake, likely increase airfares from Billy Bishop, and cost at least $5 billion. Toronto has a waterfront plan, and we’re already seeing it become a reality- balancing vibrant and healthy communities, beautiful parks, recreation with tourism, economic development and the environment.   The federal consultation closes on July 24. Please visit joshmatlow.ca/waterfront to make your voice heard! Our waterfront needs you.

Doug Ford’s reckless “plan” for Toronto’s waterfront isn’t a done deal yet. We have a better plan - a balanced combination of healthy communities, recreational opportunities, amazing parks, economic development and a regional airport on the island that’s easy to deal with and works. Ford’s pie-in-the-sky proposal to bring jets to Billy Bishop Airport and increase it to take on 10 million passengers (with no public plan or business case) would cost $5 billion, increase the price of air fares, worsen traffic, pave a massive runway and blast wall on our lake, impact housing and affect the health and livability of our waterfront neighbourhoods. You can easily make your voice heard as part of the federal government’s consultation here: joshmatlow.ca/waterfront

We have a real opportunity to stop Doug Ford’s plan to bring jets to Toronto’s waterfront. The federal government has opened a public consultation, and they need to hear from you. Their survey is not the only way to do it. You can send an email right now with just a few clicks by visiting joshmatlow.ca/waterfront. Contrary to what Doug Ford has promised, studies warn that jets at Billy Bishop pose a significant risk of increased noise pollution, water pollution, air pollution, and traffic congestion, which would negatively impact housing, public spaces, and public perception – potentially reducing tourism and economic development on the waterfront. Any proposal for Billy Bishop and our city’s waterfront must include Toronto as a full partner. Your participation in this consultation is an important first step. Please make your voice heard!

Here are some captions from reports based on motions I’ve moved at city council to provide the federal government information about what’s at stake with Doug Ford’s push to bring jets to Toronto’s waterfront. I’m very pleased to say that the many conversations I’ve had with Toronto MPs have been very positive and productive. I believe the Carney government will be committed to a thoughtful and evidence-based review of any plan for our waterfront that must consider the livability of our neighbourhoods, housing targets, transportation needs, and our health and the natural environment. And, despite Ford’s bombastic behavior, I’m encouraged that the Prime Minister will ensure that the City of Toronto and its residents are treated like partners and recognizes that consequential decisions have real consequences. We are making progress.

The Toronto Port Authority is holding their AGM on June 11th. I read their Financial Statements - and they raise big red flags about their hasty support of Doug Ford’s plan to bring jets to Billy Bishop Airport: 1) Ridership is down at Billy Bishop 2) Billy Bishop is relying on higher operating fees to prop up revenue 3) Based on current revenue, they’d have to forego any profit for between 80-300 years to pay for the expansion 4) Based on their 2017 Environmental Assessment, the decision was made against introducing jets, and those conditions have gotten worse - not better Here’s my letter to the Toronto Port Authority. The public deserves answers to the following questions:

In today’s Toronto Star, I write about a path forward to protect Toronto, and move forward with an ambitious and well planned vision for our city’s waterfront. Doug Ford’s voice is not the only one that matters. thestar.com/opinion/contribu…