YTZ Bridge News

[N8]

Island bridge battle flares anew
Port authority threatens construction as early as July 1
Mayor wants federal government to honour commitment


KERRY GILLESPIE
CITY HALL BUREAU

Call it the bridge that never dies.

In a letter to the mayor, the Toronto Port Authority has threatened — again — to start building a bridge to the island airport on July 1.

"Although the city has delayed the bridge until now, this cannot continue," Henry Pankratz, who chairs the port authority, wrote in a letter to Mayor David Miller last week.

Miller lashed back in a news conference yesterday.

"City council has said no bridge, the Prime Minister of Canada has said no bridge, a public agency should be saying, `Yes, we understand,'" Miller said. "I am amazed the federal government allows its agency to be as out of control as it is."

This is the latest round in a saga that started more than a year ago and has included lawsuits, allegations of backroom deals, and mudslinging between pro- and anti-bridge factions.

The Toronto City Centre Airport is operated by the port authority, but major changes — such as building a 122-metre-long bridge from the foot of Bathurst St. to the island — need the approval of the city, Ottawa and the port authority.

The bridge would allow the number of daily turboprop flights to rise to 55 from five.

Before the municipal election last Nov. 10, all three parties were in favour of the bridge. But Miller campaigned against the bridge and won.

In December, council voted to kill the deal, and Prime Minister Paul Martin said he would respect the city's wishes.

The port authority then halted construction and indicated that if it were compensated for the $6 million to $7 million it spent on bridge development and $30 million to upgrade the existing ferry to the island airport, it might be willing to end the deal.

Four months ago, the city asked the port authority to send detailed documents outlining exactly how it spent money on the bridge, Miller said.

"They've refused to provide them and that can only lead to the conclusion, as I thought beforehand, that they really don't have any damages," the mayor said.

That's not so, port authority CEO Lisa Raitt said. "We can absolutely show what the costs are."

What's at issue, she said, is that the city won't agree to keep such details confidential, and without that the authority won't turn over the documents.

Raitt said Pankratz's letter to the mayor was a reminder that the city and authority have issues to deal with and time is running out. The agency has all of the permits in place to legally build the bridge after June 30.

There was supposed to be a meeting between the two sides yesterday, but it was cancelled by the city, Raitt said.

Miller said he would be writing to Martin this week about the authority.

"The port authority is embarrassing him by its actions and I think it's time the federal government ensures the Prime Minister's commitment is honoured and that the democratic will of the people of Toronto as expressed by their city council is honoured," said Miller, who in the past has called for disbanding the port authority.

For Miller, the bridge has always been about more than the city's waterfront; it's also about what he sees as the interests of a few business people, represented by lobbyists, against the interests of citizens.

The mayor returned to that theme during his news conference yesterday.

"It's really a clear choice: Who runs this city, is it the elected governments or is it the influential lobbyists? It's that simple. The lobbyists are in full force again on the island bridge issue and they are very well-connected," he said.

When asked which lobbyists he was referring to, Miller referred to the Sussex Strategy Group.

Paul Pellegrini, the firm's president, said he didn't know why Miller would say such a thing because his company has not been involved with the island airport bridge since Dec. 31.

[Always Moving]

Is there anything I can do?
How can I help?
I saw the anti brige protest but I did not see the pro brige one

[loopy]

A few well placed explosive charges at the base of the old grain silo ought to be a good first step. When she falls acrss the channel, you should be able to walk to the other side.

[N8]

With the way that silo looks these days Loopy, it might fall down on it's own if the wind is strong enough. A good southerly wind might do the trick.



Seriously though, if you want to help the bridge and you live in Toronto, call your wards city councilor. Tell them you want the bridge.

I don't know how much of a voice the "little people" will have in the decision though. It's a big boy fight now. It never huts to try I guess.

[MurtsAir]

OK whats the big deal there willing to spend 30 million upgrading a boat but not spend the same on a bridge. not to mention the cost of maintaining a boat over the years ! Im out here on the west coast and never been to TCC but ive heard about this going on for decades now. its going to happen eventually so just cut the BS and do it.

[SourApple]

MurtsAir, It's not so much the cost of doing something, it's the increase of flights from 5 to 55 if the bridge is built. That's the big issue that Miller, who I didn't vote for, has his knickers in a knot over.

[MurtsAir]

You know I didnt even consider the more flights part of the artical as a negative to someone, I mean god forbid airplanes use an airport and thus more flights means more jobs wich = more taxes wich = more money to the mayors office to spend on things like bridges and such . I cant wait till im Prime Minister id bitch slap this fool who is trusted with looking out for the greater good of the comunity.

[wirez]

We should just disconnect the airport from the island, and use the extra dirt to connect the airport to the mainland. Then the tree-huggers can have their stupid island.

[Hiflyer2]

To start with.... the whole island / airport group of issues is such a mind boggling conglomeration of shit it is unbelievable.

It is evident that the tree huggers rule this pinko city. They are elected into every level of government. They don't want a bridge, they don't want a fast ferry to Rochester, they don't want airports or aircraft, they don't wan't a natural gas power plant in Toronto, they don't want to kill cormorants, they don't want you to idle your car in the cold weather.

These wingnuts are all completely f***ed in the head as they fly to Barbados and live in there little yuppy houses in the beaches with electricity (go figure). Or live on the island and walk from cottage to cottage with open liquor smoking there wacky tabaccy. These folks are not common folk.... they are the priviledged few with the biggest mouths and they will destroy society as we know it. And we the common hard working folk continue to let them. Unbelievable!!! Ya lets all elect Jack Leighton to be the next PM. Ya thats it... Everything free for all. We just work for the good of the state. Make everything free. Green everywhere...we can just sit back and smoke dope and look at all our pristine parks.

Toronto is completely buggered up by these business hating tree hugging B***ards.

[wollypilot]

a bridge across would be way better than that cheesy ferry they have there now.

Cheers, wp.

[oldtimer]

I have read in other places that the problem in "the center of the universe" is that a bunch of Yuppies have bought expensive condos along the waterfront and want to illiminate noisy airplanes. unfortunatly, they can also afford to support lobby groups to make noise. We have the same problem here in Hongcouver with the north runway. In fact this is a problem all across the civilized world. Everyone wants the benefits that air travel brings but do not want any of the inconvienances. Same problem in Calgary where people built expensive homes near the airport and then wanted the airport moved. King Ralph was mayor of Calgary when this all started and he set things in motion to let them go suck wind. What do people expect when they can see the button of the runway from their porch.

[. ._]

Green everywhere...we can just sit back and smoke dope and look at all our pristine parks.

Sounds groovy, man.

-istp

[Gr8Pilot]

Exactly why I moved to Vancouver.
Toronto is being run by s#@*Heads.
Too bad
Vancouver truly is God's country!

I used to live right at Harbourfont and used to love watching airplanes on final for 26 in front of my window. It was awesome. What was hilarious is all of the tree-hugging-pot-smoking "island folk" and richie-rich people in my building used to hand out fliers wanting the airport shut down because (this is where it gets hilarious - I mean lots of weed smoked when writing these flyers)
"More 'jets' mean more toxic fumes spewed into the air of our pristine ecosystem" - I wonder if anyone ever bothered to turn around and notice all the gas-guzzling SUVs parked on the Gardner "Expressway"?

or "Jets are noisy" - Funny thing is, the loudest thing to leave the island airport is usually the 206 that Cameron Air flies richie-rich cottagers to their overcrowded Muskoka lakes. Probably the very same people who write these flyers.

Heaven forbid you build a bridge and make it more convenient for business people to get to the downtown core. I mean, why would it be important to make sure that Canada's largest business center be accessible? It wouldn't make any sense to make downtown companies more productive and therfore make more money. More money wich would equal what? Ah yes - MORE TAXES. And how to MPs and Mayors get paid? I guess David Miller is not a bad guy after all - he just signed up to get a pay cut.