V.O.C.A.L Issues

The following information has been designed to provide you with some of the important discussion points to include in your email or letter to the government. Please write on the issues you feel strongest about but if you could include the bolded phrases it will increase the effectiveness of our overall message to the government.

Land Issues


This is a land grab by the GTAA. They need 700 acres to develop the Cessna airport they propose in their plan, yet they are applying to have the whole 11,600 acres turned over to them. We do not need to subsidize them for an airport that is not needed. Don't let this happen. The government is supposed to protect our interests and our assets.

This is the largest tract of Class 1 Farmland from Toronto to Halifax...why destroy it with an unneeded and unwanted airport?

The Provincial Government has commented that they think this is the wrong airport in the wrong place (Minister of Housing and Urban Affairs, John Gerritson, Nov 17, 2004, Regalis Restaurant, Pickering).

What kind of public policy expropriates people off their land then uses it to the benefit of less than .29% of the Canadian population?

If the government is bound and bent on placing an airport on this site then they should provide only the land needed for the airport and not one acre more.

The land is worth 5.8 billion dollars; don't waste taxpayers' money by transferring the land to the GTAA and getting nothing back. They don't even want to pay rent on the property they are on today.


Business Case Issues

The GTAA has proposed a General Aviation airport. The Canadian Government should follow the Canada Airports Act and approve only those airports that can operate on a commercially viable basis and on a user pay basis. They should not approve this proposal because it is subsidized by the Airport Improvement Tax (AIF) levied on all passengers at Pearson.

The GTAA business plan did not make a business case in fact it clarified the issue by outlining an airport is not needed for a long time. What is the rush to transfer the land?

The GTAA manipulated the data in the business plan. The study very narrowly defined the system capacity and excluded critical information. Had the study covered a 50-mile rather than 48-mile radius from Pearson then it would have clearly shown capacity exists in the system today to handle the projected traffic right out and past 2032.

No financial data is incorporated in the report that was used to justify the study. The GTAA admit a GA airport is unprofitable yet will still build it why???? It's to get the land!!!!!

Blatant inaccuracies exist. Markham airport is not closing. Buttonville and Oshawa have never been approached about remaining open longer. Oshawa is not profitable because the traffic does not exist according to the Mayor. What makes the GTAA thinks they can be profitable by opening a new facility costing 200 million???

The GTAA has not factored in any costs for land rental from the Government for the site. Do not give our land away and do not subsidize the GTAA for an unwanted and unneeded airport.

The GTAA really perfumed up the pig in this case. They greatly inflated air passenger traffic data in the early years to more than twice the average national rate, then deflating them in the later years to come out with an average that while close to the historic rate distorts the data greatly in their favour.


Public Policy Issues


As taxpayers, we demand value for our tax dollar and giving our land to the GTAA is not an option we will accept. If the federal government decides an airport is needed, the GTAA must pay market value to get our land no subsidies or compensation. Secondly, they get only the land they need and not one acre more.

Many alternatives exist that will provide benefit to the economy and the community why have these not been pursued???