In 2001, the Greater Toronto Airports Authority (GTAA) was asked by the Canadian government to produce a plan for the development of the Pickering lands, east of Toronto.
A draft plan was released to the public in mid-November 2004, to the delight of some and the chagrin of others.
The draft plan calls for the development of a three-runway airport with an initial opening in 2012, as a small general aviation airport which will grow to take airline overflow as Pearson reaches capacity in 2032.
The plan can be found on the GTAA website www.gtaa.com (click on Pickering Project).
Any new GA airport is of course welcome, but there are assumptions made in the draft plan that cause us concern. For example, in order to create the initial demand, Buttonville, Markham (located on the western edge of the lands) and Oshawa airports are assumed to close.
At Buttonville CYKZ, there is an agreement in place between the GTAA and this privately-owned airport to close upon the opening of Pickering.
Derek Sifton, vice-president of Buttonville owner Toronto Airways, confirmed that the agreement, which goes until 2010, provides funding from the GTAA to help Buttonville until that time, with the provision that if and when the Pickering airport opens, Buttonville will close.
Sifton did point out that it is Toronto Airways’ intention to remain in business, either at Buttonville or Pickering, providing services to GA. He also stated that anything can happen at the end of the agreement, including extending it or whatever may come about as the plan for Pickering develops.
Markham CPH7 is located on the western edge of the Pickering lands and the GTAA assumes that it will have to close because its location will interfere with the traffic pattern at Pickering, whose planned main runways are aligned with CPH7, about 7 km away.
At Oshawa CYOO, the airport has been under pressure for many years because of the recent residential built-up surrounding it. Despite this pressure, millions have been spent there to, among other things, lengthen a runway and relocate the ramp area and hangars to the north side and build a large terminal building.
Although retaining CYOO would not pose the same airspace problems as at Markham, there is a debate at the City Council level about the future of this airport should the Pickering airport go ahead.
COPA President Kevin Psutka, along with representatives from the Buttonville and Oshawa COPA Flights, met with the GTAA on Dec. 3, to discuss issues and to start what will hopefully be a consultation process with the GTAA that will lead to a revision of the plan to better accommodate the long term needs of GA in the GTA.
COPA focused on a number of specific issues and concerns surrounding the operations, physical configuration, costs and the business case assumptions made in the plan.
COPA called for a detailed examination of these issues and that a structured process of dialogue should be established where the views of potential Pickering GA users can be input into the plan for Pickering.
The schedule for firming up the plan includes listening to input from the communities and users.
This will be accomplished; in addition to the public information sessions held so far, by a comprehensive environmental assessment (CEA), similar to the ones performed for Banff and Jasper airstrips, and will include another level of review, a Panel Review by the Canadian Environment Assessment Agency.
Representatives of our COPA Flights will play a pivotal role in helping to develop the plan. COPA HQ’s role will be to work at the government level because ultimately the Federal government has to approve the plan and grant the GTAA the rights to develop the land.
The GTAA’s draft plan calls for a decision, in the 2007 time frame, in order to complete the work necessary if the airport is to be opened in 2012.
COPA will also serve as an information source for members by providing periodic meetings with members, providing information in our newspaper and on our website and working with other affected Associations such as business aviation (CBAA) and flight training (ATAC). Contact Kevin Psutka