Letter re: Greater Waterfront Coalition
On January 21, Deputy Mayor Pam McConnell and I sent the following letter to Ports Toronto (the Toronto Port Authority), supporting an earlier application by the Greater Waterfront Coalition seeking participant funding for the ongoing environmental assessment examining the possibility of expanding the Island Airport.
January 21, 2015
Mr. Geoff Wilson
Chief Executive Officer
Ports Toronto (Toronto Port Authority)
60 Harbour Street
Toronto ON M5J 1B7
Re: Greater Waterfront Coalition (“GWC”) request for participant funding
Dear Mr. Wilson;
As the City Councillors for Wards 28 and 20, we are writing to you to voice our support for the Greater Waterfront Coalition, and their request for participant funding in the ongoing environmental assessment (“EA”) process regarding the possible expansion of the ‘Island Airport.’
Any possible expansion of service or facilities at the Island Airport will have serious ramifications for the City of Toronto and its residents, including health and environmental costs, impact on the ongoing revitalization of Toronto’s waterfront and nearby developments, and significant transit and infrastructure costs. A robust, objective EA that takes into account a wide scope of potential issues is an absolute necessity before any decisions can be made regarding the Airport.
As a broad coalition of community groups, the GWC is an ideal participant in the EA process, and including them in the process in a meaningful way will serve only to improve the Assessment.
We urge Ports Toronto to provide arm’s length funding to the GWC in a transparent, accountable way. Doing so will allow the GWC to retain experts to provide objective input, so this process and ongoing discussion about the future of Toronto’s waterfront can be meaningful, and worthwhile.
Sincerely,
[signed] [signed]
Pam McConnell Joe Cressy
Deputy Mayor City Councillor
Ward 28 – Toronto Centre-Rosedale Ward 20 – Trinity-Spadina
cc: Edward Hore, Greater Waterfront Coalition
John Livey, Deputy City Manager
David Stonehouse, Waterfront Secretariat, Division Head
Chris Dunn, Waterfront Secretariat
John Tory, Mayor of Toronto
Michael Stephenson, Acting Regional Director General, Transport Canada
John Campbell, Chief Executive Officer, Waterfront Toronto
Brian Denney, Toronto and Region Conservation Authority
Nicole Swerhun, Swerhun Associates
York Quay Neighbourhood Association
Bathurst Quay Neighbourhood Association