TORONTO – Green Party Co-Leader Elizabeth May joined Gord Rand, Green Party candidate for Spadina\u2014Harbourfront, on Tuesday, April 8, to speak out against the proposed runway expansion at Toronto Island Airport and the potential introduction of jet traffic into downtown Toronto. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Green Party is voicing strong opposition to any plans that would bring jets to Billy Bishop Airport, citing serious concerns around air and noise pollution, the threat to Toronto\u2019s waterfront, and the incompatibility with national climate goals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Gord Rand, who lives in and is running to represent the Spadina\u2014Harbourfront community, emphasized that the people most affected by this decision\u2014local residents\u2014are not being heard.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cJets have no place in downtown Toronto,\u201d said Rand. \u201cThis airport is already congested, and its location at the foot of Bathurst Street means there’s limited room for any expansion. The people who live here don\u2019t want louder, more polluting air traffic invading their homes. We should be investing in clean, quiet transportation\u2014like high-speed rail\u2014not pouring money into extending runways that serve the few at the cost of the many.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Green Party Co-Leader Elizabeth May pointed to the broader environmental stakes of the issue. She warned that adding more short-haul jet flights would worsen Canada\u2019s already fragile emissions profile.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cThis isn\u2019t just about noise or inconvenience\u2014it\u2019s about climate leadership,\u201d said May. \u201cShort-haul flights, like those between Toronto and Montreal or Windsor, are among the worst polluters per kilometre because most of the fuel is burned during takeoff and landing. Expanding jet access at Billy Bishop would only increase emissions when we should be doing everything in our power to reduce them.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Greens argue that there are better alternatives that support the public interest while aligning with environmental goals. Chief among them is the long-discussed high-speed rail corridor that would connect cities from Windsor to Quebec City, dramatically cutting emissions from short flights and car travel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe need bold, forward-looking infrastructure,\u201d said Jonathan Pedneault, Green Party Co-Leader. \u201cRather than expanding airports in city centres, we should be championing a high-speed rail corridor\u2014a project that would deliver huge climate, economic, and social benefits for Canadians. This is the green future we should be building, not doubling down on outdated, polluting air travel.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
While the Green Party acknowledges there may not yet be widespread political appetite to close the Toronto Island Airport entirely, it maintains that jet expansion must be off the table. The Party supports policies that reduce intercity air travel, protect community livability, and preserve Canada\u2019s urban waterfronts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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