Misplaced Pages

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81-625: The organization is the successor to the Toronto Harbour Commission (THC) that had managed Toronto Harbour since 1911, paid for through government transfers, harbour and airport fees. As part of a Canada-wide plan of the Government of Canada to turn government commissions into self-sufficient agencies, the TPA was set up in 1999 to take over the port and airport functions of the THC. This was done against

162-418: A $ 13.9 million profit in 2011. The year 2015 marked PortsToronto's eighth consecutive year of profitability with an operating net income of $ 5.9 million. Prior to 1999, Toronto's harbour was managed by the Toronto Harbour Commission (THC), created by a federal act in 1911. At first, the commission managed the harbour as well as waterfront lands across the then City of Toronto beyond the harbour area, including

243-568: A $ 90,000 settlement. Since the demise of the fast ferry service, PortsToronto has been promoting Toronto as a cruise ship destination. Cruise ships that serve American and European tourists travelling on the Great Lakes between May and October are making increasing use of the terminal as a port of call over the summer months. Indeed cruise passenger volumes at a variety of Great Lakes ports, which cumulatively had 100,000 passengers in 2018, increased between 2015 and 2019 reflecting increased touring on

324-652: A THC commissioner appeared to argue against the inclusion of Toronto under the Act as it would make it difficult for the city to harmonize its waterfront plans with a port authority. THC chairman Charles Parmelee and Howard Joy, THC vice-chairmen appeared to argue that the Toronto Port should be included. The federal election of 1997 intervened and the bill died. The Act was re-introduced by Minister of Transport David Collenette in October 1997. The list included Toronto. Collenette spoke to

405-418: A TPA-planned bridge to the airport. Additionally, the TPA has been involved in several disputes, including a land dispute, harbour fees and property taxes with the city, and lawsuits over the operation of the airport with Air Canada . In 2013, Porter proposed an expansion of the airport to support the introduction of jet airplanes to the airport. Toronto City Council refused to endorse the proposal and sent it to

486-736: A break-even basis. Toronto's was added to the Port Authority program, largely at the insistence of local Liberal MP Dennis Mills . In 2001, the new Toronto Port Authority was formed to manage the Port of Toronto, including the Island airport. Also in the 1990s, the Harbour Commission transferred the Don River infill lands to the City of Toronto Economic Development Commission in exchange for an annual subsidy. In

567-450: A business than a government agency. This model of organization has been criticized for excluding persons or organizations that utilize the services in a non-commercial manner. The TPA has had to defend the choice and composition of the board of directors. Lisa Raitt , former TPA CEO has stated: "It's a community-based board of directors". In 2008, board members were paid between $ 13,000 and $ 18,000 each for their services. Past members of

648-403: A director and no employee of the City of Toronto, Province of Ontario, or Government of Canada (or related agencies) can be a director. The 'users directors' are to be nominated by the businesses operating in the port, the airport, commercial users or recreational businesses. Like all port authorities created from harbour commissions, the aim was to update port operations so that it worked more like

729-469: A few months in September 2004, $ 2.1 million in debt. The failure was attributed to unexpected costs of Canada Customs fees, US border security not allowing transport trucks onto the ferry and CATS' under-capitalization. The TPA stopped construction of the terminal, which had increased in price to $ 10.5 million, but restarted construction after the City of Rochester made plans to purchase the ferry and restart

810-513: A fifth appointed by the province of Upper Canada , nominated by the four other members. The first work it undertook was to remove "certain stones now lying in the channel in front of the Queen's Wharf." The Harbour Trust was also given authority over the Esplanade plan. The original 1817 plan intended to build a public walk and garden along the waterfront, just south of Front Street. The province's plan

891-409: A position supported by Community Air and other local community groups. Other mayoral candidates Barbara Hall and John Tory supported the bridge. Despite the bridge being an election issue, the Port Authority continued developing the project, progressing to the point that contracts were signed with major participants (including companies operating from the airport). On November 10, 2003, Mr. Miller

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972-422: A settlement to end the TPA port-lands lawsuit in exchange for an immediate payment of $ 5.5 million and an annual subsidy of $ 5.5 million to the TPA until 2012. Council then voted 29–11 to approve the amendment of the tripartite agreement to permit a fixed link and the construction of a lift bridge. In return, the TPA dropped its claim to the lands and the permanent subsidy in exchange for money and permission to build

1053-472: A water-jet powered big catamaran fast ferry that was to make several round trips per day between Toronto, Ontario and Rochester, New York , but the ferry service only ran for a total of six months. The Rochester firm that owned and operated the ferry had a 14-year lease on the use of the terminal that would have paid the City of Toronto $ 250,000 per year. The lease was terminated in December 2009 after payment of

1134-528: A working relationship with startup airline Porter Airlines and, despite the 2003 cancellation of a permanent bridge to the airport, has been successful in increasing air traffic at the airport to the point where it turned a profit in 2008. It has since built a pedestrian tunnel to the airport. The TPA's efforts to expand the airport in partnership with Porter has placed it in opposition to various communities in Toronto and Toronto City Council, which in 2003 cancelled

1215-423: Is leased to PortsToronto for a nominal amount until 2033 under the 1983 agreement. Access to the airport is by ferry services operated by PortsToronto and a pedestrian tunnel. Built in 1939 on land dredged from the harbour, it has two runways which can accommodate the smaller planes of regional scheduled airlines and general aviation aircraft. The 1983 agreement prohibits jet airplanes except in emergencies. In 2007,

1296-531: Is located at the eastern end of the Toronto Harbour . PortsToronto operates a 21-hectare (52-acre) paved facility consisting of Marine Terminal 51 and Warehouse 52 on the east side of the harbour. There are 3 miles (4.8 km) of deep-water wharfage for the loading and unloading of bulk products. Marine terminals include inside and outside storage, and some 6,000 square feet (560 m) of berthing space for ships carrying general cargo. The port facilities include

1377-476: Is located at the western end of Toronto Islands . Operation of the airport is governed by a 1983 tripartite agreement between the Toronto Harbour Commission, the Government of Canada and the City of Toronto. The majority of the airport land (78%) is owned by PortsToronto with two small sections owned by the Government of Canada and a small section owned by the city. The small portion of city-owned land

1458-655: The Canadian National Exhibition . In the 1990s, the agency was requiring annual subsidies to manage the Island airport and the port lands. There were a number of harbour commissions in Canada and the federal government replaced the law under which harbours were managed, with the Canada Marine Act . Most ports were put under the authority of local governments and several were put under the authority of new 'Port Authority' agencies which would manage their affairs on

1539-489: The Cruise Ship Facility , or International Marine Passenger Terminal which was built as a passenger terminal for a ferry to Rochester, New York . The lands of the Port of Toronto used to be significantly larger. The Port Lands surrounding the facility were created by infilling the delta of the Don River by the Toronto Harbour Commission in the 1910s, and were owned and controlled by the Harbour Commission until

1620-517: The Harbour Trust , formed in 1850. Prior to 1850, the harbour had had three commissioners appointed by the province of Upper Canada to oversee harbour works, in conjunction with the building of the Queen's Wharf, at the foot of Bathurst Street in 1833. One of the commissioners, Hugh Richardson, was named Toronto's first Harbourmaster in 1837 and he imposed wharf fees to pay for the Wharf. The Harbour Trust

1701-539: The House of Commons of Canada 's Standing Committee on Transport initiated a study of Canada's marine transportation sector. After consultations across the country, the committee produced its National Marine Strategy in May 1995. In December 1995, the Government of Canada announced a new National Marine Policy to reform the governance of ports, harbours and the St. Lawrence Seaway. The plan

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1782-631: The Letters patent of the agency. As originally set up, the board was seven members, and was made up of one member appointed by the Government of Canada, one by the city, one by the Province of Ontario, and four by the federal government in consultation with the classes of users mentioned in the letters patent. The federal government changed the Letters Patent of the TPA in 2008 to modify this to nine members. The federal Minister of Transport now nominates seven of

1863-520: The Sunnyside waterfront area, east of the Humber River . Over time, the facilities and lands other than the inner and outer harbour and the airport were transferred to the management of the City of Toronto and other authorities, leaving the THC to manage the airport and harbour. The THC received lease revenues and subsidies from the various governments to carry on its activities. Starting in December 1994,

1944-649: The 1990s, when they were transferred to the City of Toronto. The lands are expected to be redeveloped into a new neighbourhood, by the Waterfront Toronto partnership. The north-east corner of the harbour, formerly housing marine terminals, is being redeveloped into the East Bayfront residential neighbourhood. The Don River mouth is planned to be 're-naturalized'. Other facilities operated by PortsToronto include: PortsToronto Protective Services employs full-time enforcement and security officers who are responsible for

2025-575: The 2000s, the Toronto Port Authority sued the City of Toronto for $ 1 billion over the lands, claiming that the lands were transferred illegally. The Authority and the City settled out of court in exchange for a promised bridge to the Island Airport and approximately $ 50 million. Many of these milestones were documented by Wickson in 2002. The commission operated the William Rest . The ship

2106-616: The Act, the diminishing role of the city, difficulties in the planning of land development and the exclusion of elected councillors serving on the TPA board of directors. This was brought to the Senate's attention in an appearance of Toronto's Chief Planner at a Senate hearing in April 1998. The Act was passed in May 1998 with the only amendment being the addition of Hamilton to the Schedule. The Toronto Port Authority (TPA) came into being on June 8, 1999, and

2187-572: The Act. From July to October 1996, a study was done by accounting firm Nesbitt Burns of other possible ports, including Toronto. Nesbitt Burns concluded that Toronto was not self-sufficient and should not be included. In April 1997, the Act was approved by Parliament with an amendment to add eight other ports, including Toronto. At the Senate, Jack Layton , then the chair of the City Planning and Transportation Committee of Metro Council, and Martin Silva,

2268-515: The City of Toronto lands dispute settlement to build a terminal near Cherry Beach on TPA land. Using a temporary terminal, the ferry, named the Spirit of Ontario I , started the service in June 2004, operated by Canadian American Transportation Systems (CATS) while the permanent terminal was being constructed. Although popular with Rochester visitors to Toronto, carrying 130,000 passengers, CATS failed after only

2349-488: The Civic Guild unveiled a plan in 1909 which advocated industrial and recreational uses for the land. The Board of Trade advocated the reclamation and infilling of the wetlands for port and industrial uses. The existing port facilities were inadequate when a railway strike occurred in 1910, forcing vessels to wait days to dock. A referendum was held on January 2, 1911, to approve a new 'Toronto Harbour Commission' to take over

2430-470: The Great Lakes. The terminal is a two-storey building which has 38,000 square feet (3,500 m ) of floor space and can deploy an adjustable passenger ramp from the second storey. The terminal facility is reported to have cost either CA$ 8 million or CA$ 10.4 million to construct. The terminal building is also regularly used as a film location. For its three years in production the CBC drama The Border used

2511-556: The Ontario representative on the board. Ottawa did not appoint directors during the review, and Toronto refused to name a director, in opposition to the TPA's existence. That same year, the TPA invested $ 15 million in upgrades to the island airport, including a new ferry, the TCCA1, to replace the old ferry to the airport. The TPA also imposed a $ 15 airport improvement fee, which along with the increase in passengers for Porter's service has increased

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2592-400: The THC was dissolved. The Letters Patent for the new organization provided for it to be governed as an independent agency, with seven directors, one each to be chosen by the federal, provincial and municipal governments, and the others to be representative of the commercial users of the harbour. The TPA received the harbour assets of the former Commission, including inner and outer harbour lands,

2673-717: The TPA for study. The jet proposal was cancelled in December 2015 after the newly elected Liberal federal government announced it would not renegotiate the operating agreement of the airport to allow jets. PortsToronto operates the Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport , Billy Bishop Toronto City Water Aerodrome , Port of Toronto , the International Marine Passenger Terminal and the Outer Harbour Marina. PT also provides regulatory controls and public works for marine and air navigation in

2754-422: The TPA was seeking approval of the Island Airport fixed link, it potentially threatened the ability of the city to proceed on waterfront revitalization. City Council, leading up to the debate on the fixed link plan, made the settlement of the lawsuit a condition of the approval of the fixed link. On November 28, 2002, Council in a day-long debate, made two votes to settle the issue. First, Council voted 32–9 to accept

2835-459: The TPA's Statement of Revenue and Expenses shows an income from operations of $ 2.251 million, with overall net income of $ 863,000, compared to a loss on operations of $ 1.877 million in 2007. For the first six months of 2009, the TPA had a net income of $ 1.154 million, 34% more than the net income reported for all of fiscal 2008. The TPA did post a profit in 2009, and announced it had also made a $ 7.1 million profit for 2010, and nearly doubling that with

2916-572: The TPA's revenues to the point where in 2008, it reported its first profit on revenues. The TPA has purchased a new ferry for the airport using the airport improvement fees. The ferry purchase lead to a TPA board of directors dispute and conflict-of-interest investigation . In 2009, the TPA proposed a new $ 38 million pedestrian tunnel to the airport. The TPA sought to have the project paid for out of federal and provincial governments economic stimulus program funds. TPA critics Olivia Chow , David Miller and Adam Vaughan publicly stated their opposition to

2997-567: The TPA, according to a June 8, 2009 press release from Board Chair Mark McQueen. McQueen termed the letter as: "nothing more than an effort by a disgruntled minority of our Board to smear the reputation of those members of the Board who support the existence of the Toronto City Centre Airport ("TCCA") and who voted in favour of a new, larger passenger ferry in January 2009" The press release

3078-593: The Toronto Port Authority Report, General Observations and Recommendations" . Retrieved 2008-09-12 . Critics of the airport were less than enthusiastic about the report. NDP MP Olivia Chow , a frequent critic, called it a "total whitewash" while Toronto Mayor David Miller said the document is "not worth the paper it's written on". In responding to the criticism, Mr. Tassé defended the report and questioned whether critics such as Miller and Chow had even read it. In 2006, Porter Airlines started service at

3159-569: The Toronto waterfront. It built both Malton Airport and the Toronto Island Airport in 1939. The agency was founded in 1911 and operated until 1999 when the port operations were transferred to the new Toronto Port Authority (TPA), now PortsToronto . The Harbour Commission was the third organization to manage the Port of Toronto, after the Commissioners of the Harbour of Toronto , known as

3240-437: The aftermath of the ferry service Toronto's terminal was closed down. However, with the reemergence of a Great Lakes cruise industry by 2019 the old ferry terminal docked 36 cruise ships carrying 12,000 passengers including 2 cruise ships and almost 1,000 passengers on October 14, 2019. On May 1, 2006, the Government of Canada Transport Minister Lawrence Cannon announced that a review of the agency would be conducted. The review

3321-445: The airport and the Harbour Commission building. Like the other port authorities, it was to be self-sufficient in its activities, charging fees to the users of the harbour and airport. In 2001, the TPA filed a $ 1 billion CAD lawsuit over 600 acres (240 ha) of land that was transferred in the 1990s to the City of Toronto's Toronto Economic Development Corporation ( TEDCO ) by the Toronto Harbour Commission. The disputed lands, mostly

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3402-480: The airport. Porter had purchased the island terminal, which was then used by an Air Canada budget operation called Jazz , and evicted the competitor from the airport. The TPA banned Jazz from using other airport facilities without a contract with the TPA and Jazz abandoned the airport and filed a lawsuit . During this time, the TPA was under the Tassé review, and had only one member on its board of directors, Michele McCarthy,

3483-409: The amendment of the tripartite agreement to permit a fixed link and the construction of a lift bridge. The next year, a municipal election year, saw public opinion change to oppose the bridge. In October 2003, a Toronto Star poll listed 53% of residents citywide opposed the airport bridge, while 36% supported it. Councillor David Miller ran for mayor on a platform to stop the building of the bridge,

3564-520: The commission's 'fiduciary interest'. And that the deals crippled the THC's ability to be self-sufficient by ending any potential revenues from those lands. As the TPA was inheriting the role and activities of the THC, it was thus crippled itself. TEDCO and the city had earmarked the lands for waterfront revitalization upon the recommendations of the Crombie Commission on the Waterfront. Thus, while

3645-487: The construction of a fixed link" and lobbying the federal government to "withhold certain permits." The federal government later transferred $ 35 million to the TPA in May 2005 to settle claims arising from the cancellation from Deluce, Aecon Construction and Stolport Corp. Compensation terms were not disclosed. Lisa Raitt , Port Authority CEO was quoted as saying "You will never hear about the bridge again." and "We have been working very hard since December of 2003 to deal with

3726-415: The council's position on the bridge and withdrew its support. In January 2004, the federal government put approval of the project on hold, preventing its construction. Immediately, regional airline proponent Robert Deluce filed a $ 505 million lawsuit against the City of Toronto, claiming that Miller "abused his powers", by threatening councillors, had Toronto Fire Services and Toronto Hydro "interfere with

3807-418: The customs facilities of the terminal as the headquarters of an elite customs and border squad. Renting the terminal for filming costs $ 3,500 per day. Cruise ships that have made multiple ports of call over the last few years include the 420 passenger MS Hamburg , the 180 passenger MV Le Champlain and the 210 passenger MV Victory I . On October 14, 2019 the terminal processed a record 988 people when

3888-596: The directors objected to included annual expenses of $ 50,000 on meals at the Harbour 60 restaurant, $ 80,000 in expenses by Lisa Raitt and $ 65,000 paid to a legal firm whose legal opinion was with-held from other board members. Chow called for an immediate investigation into the agency. Toronto Harbour Commission The Toronto Harbour Commission ( THC ) was a joint federal-municipal government agency based in Toronto , Ontario , Canada. The agency managed Toronto Harbour as well as being responsible for major works along

3969-563: The dissident directors, appointed by the federal government, were replaced by new federal government appointees. In June 2009, it became public knowledge that four members (Mr. David Gurin, Mr. Chris Henley, Ms. Michele McCarthy and Mr. Doug Reid) of the TPA board of directors sent a letter in March 2009 to Minister of Transport John Baird on the topics of " Conflict of interest , Expenses, Procurement policy, Information Flow, Audit Committee access, Board counsel termination and Illegal chair election" at

4050-514: The field of airport management. In June 1996, the Government of Canada introduced the Canada Marine Act . The Act would enable the creation of port authorities, commercialize the St. Lawrence Seaway and divest ports and harbours. A schedule of the Act listed eight ports to be covered and did not include Toronto. Transport Canada held consultations on the plan and the City of Toronto did not participate, expecting that Toronto Harbour would not be covered by

4131-475: The fixed link. In its estimation, the TPA would thus be able to be self-sufficient and contribute to waterfront revitalization. In 2002, the TPA made plans to link the airport to the mainland with a new bridge to support an expansion of services. At the time, a TPA-sponsored public opinion poll showed that Torontonians supported maintaining the airport over converting it to a park. On November 28, 2002, Toronto City Council , led by then-mayor Mel Lastman , approved

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4212-435: The future, allowing them to maintain their port authority status as long as they could project a profit. The TPA introduced a $ 15 per flight Airport Improvement Fee in October 2006 on passengers departing on scheduled flights from the airport which, by 2008, generated enough revenues for the TPA to make a profit for the first time. The fee generated $ 1.983 million in 2007 and $ 3.877 million in 2008. In its 2008 financial report,

4293-584: The harbour and waterfront. The Toronto Telegram newspaper exposed the decrepit condition of the old harbour facilities, and the City and Board of Trade wanted a new Commission set up, similar to the Montreal Harbour Commission of 1908, with much-expanded powers over the Harbour Trust. The referendum was passed overwhelmingly. The Government of Canada established the Toronto Harbour Commission on May 19, 1911 by an Act of Parliament. The commission

4374-533: The inclusion of Toronto, stating: "While there had been some degree of controversy about the designation of Toronto as a Canadian Port Authority, this certainly was not from the Members of Parliament from the Toronto area, who insisted on this being included in the last Bill. The provincial government and most municipal leaders, business leaders and others in the Toronto area, supported this designation. The harbour could attract new business and grow from just being where it

4455-526: The increasing amount of sewage being dumped in the harbour, required ongoing dredging efforts. Other works by the Harbour Trust including a breakwater at the Don River and a breakwater at the Queen's Wharf to protect the entrance to the harbour. The wetlands of the Don River were becoming increasingly polluted. Plans were developed to convert the area (1,000 acres in size) into usable lands. A planning advocacy group,

4536-410: The infill lands of the Don River delta, constituted around 85% of the THC's land assets as of the early 1990s. The lands had been transferred in two separate agreements, in 1991 and 1994 in exchange for a permanent subsidy for the THC. The TPA's legal claim was that the transfer had been done while the majority of directors of the THC were City-appointed, and who had acted in the city's interest and not in

4617-433: The lease. The TPA had been renting the terminal for use in a television series. In 2010, the TPA relaunched its plan to build the pedestrian tunnel to the island airport. According to the new plan, the tunnel would be funded by passenger user fees and be built in a commercial partnership. In July 2010, the TPA announced that it would start an environmental assessment of its own on the project and hoped to start construction of

4698-476: The medevac provider. The TPA abandoned the project in October 2009, when it determined it could not finish the project on time to qualify for stimulus funds. Although the fast ferry to Rochester had failed, the TPA continued to receive money from the City of Rochester for rent of the cruise ship terminal. This ended in December 2009 in a settlement between the TPA and Rochester, where the TPA received $ 90,000 to terminate

4779-582: The nine members, one as the federal government representative and six "in consultation with the users selected by the Minister, or the classes of users mentioned in Schedule D of these Letters Patent." The current agency replaced the older Toronto Harbour Commission that had a five-member board including three City of Toronto councillors . Under the Letters Patent , no City of Toronto Councillor, Ontario Member of Parliament or Canadian Member of Parliament can be

4860-400: The number of landings and take-offs at the airport was 90,199. Because of its location near downtown and its tall buildings, industrial smokestacks and a wind turbine, air traffic into and out of the airport is controlled with approaches and departures routed over the lake. A seaplane base is located just east of the main apron. The airport is also used for medical flights. The airport has been

4941-514: The port and harbour of Toronto. PT grants operator's permits to recreational boaters in the harbour of Toronto, oversees land development, engages in trade development for its terminals, and appoints the Harbour Master . PT has a staff of 110 full-time employees and approximately 25 seasonal and part-time workers. As of December 2008, the organization had CA$ 46 million in capital assets. Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport, or Toronto Island Airport,

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5022-485: The protection of passengers, personnel and facilities against acts of unlawful interference with civil aviation and marine security at Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport. Enforcement officers wear a distinctive dark-navy blue uniform with body armour while on duty. Their duties include: PortsToronto is a public corporation. As such, it has a board of directors, appointed under regulations of the Canada Marine Act and

5103-404: The railways into the waterfront in the 1850s to 1890s period started to crowd out recreational uses. In 1892, a legal agreement solidified the railways' usage of the waterfront. In 1893, a new plan was developed to extend landfill another 600 feet (180 m) south, and a new Lake Street (today's Lake Shore Boulevard ) established along the then-current waterfront edge. The problem of silting, and

5184-518: The request of the City of Toronto not to build a bridge, and we are very happy that the matter has been dealt with." New federal regulations were introduced to ban any future plans to build a fixed link to the airport. As the bridge dispute was ending, the TPA was embarking on a plan to bring a fast ferry service between Toronto and Rochester . By December 2003, the ferry terminal was already built in Rochester. The TPA agreed to use $ 8 million in funds from

5265-428: The revitalized waterfront, and Toronto residents living in the waterfront area are most likely to say that the airport does not fit." Since its inception, the TPA has been involved in various disputes with the City of Toronto, Air Canada, Community Air and local community groups. These battles mostly are about the Island airport. In 2009, it became public knowledge that the directors of the agency were divided. Several of

5346-421: The senior management team have included: Current members of the board: Past members of the board have included: Previous CEOs/GMs include: Like other port authorities in Canada, PortsToronto is expected to be self-sufficient. From its inception until 2008, the TPA failed to turn a profit. Self-sufficiency tests conducted on behalf of Transport Canada in both 2003 and 2004 looked at the TPA's business plan for

5427-469: The service. The new passenger terminal building opened in June 2005. It included a Canada Customs station. It was the first new border crossing between Canada and the United States in over 40 years. It would be the only year of service for the station. Ferry service was halted in January 2006 when a newly elected city council in Rochester cancelled funding, after incurring costs of US$ 10 million in 2005. In

5508-458: The site of operations of several regional airlines since the 1980s. The first airline was City Express, until 1990. This was followed by Air Ontario and Air Canada Jazz . Since 2006, Porter Airlines has operated out of the airport. The airline currently flies to more than 20 regional destinations including Ottawa, Montreal and Newark, Chicago, Boston, Halifax and Quebec City. The airport handled 2.8 million passengers in 2018. The Port of Toronto

5589-425: The tunnel in 2011. The TPA also announced that a poll conducted on behalf of the TPA suggested that "a majority (56%) of Torontonians support a pedestrian tunnel to the island airport." On September 24, 2013, the City of Toronto published the results of an Environics poll which stated "A telephone survey commissioned by the city concluded that "half of Torontonians say that an expanded airport with jets does not fit with

5670-511: The tunnel. According to Community Air , the tunnel is not allowed by the regulation imposed in 2005 that prohibits a fixed link to the airport. Mark McQueen, TPA chair has stated that the regulation does not apply to a tunnel. The TPA released a poll showing that 62% of Toronto residents support the tunnel. The tunnel project has also garnered the support of the Toronto Board of Trade and Economic Club of Canada business associations and Ornge ,

5751-408: The wishes of the City of Toronto, which had been transferring THC harbour lands to city agencies for redevelopment. The city had planned to take over the harbour administration as a direct city function. The new mission, to be self-sufficient, led the TPA to pursue opportunities to increase its revenues, including expansion of the island airport and the building of a cruise ship terminal. The TPA built

5832-417: Was and that a port authority representing users, more reflective of a commercial approach, taking the matter out of the hands of local politicians and indeed even, I suppose, other politicians would be a better way to develop the port." In February 1998, Toronto City Council passed a resolution opposing the bill. The City opposed the bill because the Port of Toronto did not qualify under the criteria proposed by

5913-591: Was bought for CA$ 150,000 and was operated from 1961 to 2016. International Marine Passenger Terminal International Marine Passenger Terminal is a cruise ship passenger terminal located in the Port of Toronto at 8 Unwin Avenue in Port Lands , Toronto , Ontario , Canada. The facility is operated by PortsToronto . The terminal was opened in 2005. It was originally built to accommodate The Spirit of Ontario I ,

5994-465: Was carried out by Roger Tassé (a former deputy Minister of Justice). The review looked into the history and operations of the government agency, including the contracts it signed for the airport bridge. The report was completed in October 2006. The review found that "the TPA has in all respects complied with due diligence requirements and the generally respected principles of good governance". The report made four recommendations: Source: "Review of

6075-425: Was elected Mayor of Toronto with 44% of the vote. While construction workers prepared the construction site, Miller immediately started the process to cancel the bridge project, sparking threats of a lawsuit from the TPA. The incoming city council voted 26–18 on December 3, 2003, to withdraw its support of the bridge project and federal Transport Minister David Collenette announced that the federal government accepted

6156-406: Was formed in 1850 at the suggestion of the Toronto Board of Trade . On behalf of port users, the Board expressed complaints in the operation of the provincial commission, which made no improvements in the harbour. The harbour was beset by silting problems which needed to be rectified. This second commission was governed by a five-man board, two from the City of Toronto, two from the Board of Trade and

6237-497: Was in response to Olivia Chow , MP for Trinity-Spadina , holding a press conference to release the letter, which Chow characterized as "explosive allegations of misconduct against some Toronto Port Authority Board members and staff." Chow wrote to the Auditor General of Canada Sheila Fraser on June 5, 2009, to ask for an audit of the authority. At the news conference, the contents of the letter were released. The practices that

6318-469: Was largely ignored and the City allowed the use of the shoreline to be used for wharves and docking. In 1837, a new plan was developed for the Esplanade. In this plan, the Esplanade would be built just south of Front, and the waterfront extended south to the "Windmill Line", some 100 yards south. The new lands would be used for port uses. The Esplanade itself would become mostly railway lands. The intrusion of

6399-689: Was the landlord for most of the Sunnyside Amusement Park at Sunnyside. After the Gardiner Expressway was built, the Harbour Commission transferred the Sunnyside lands to the City of Toronto. In later years, the agency was responsible for the infill of Hanlan's Point on the Toronto Islands to build the Island airport . The agency also infilled the lands south of Lake Shore Boulevard south of

6480-564: Was to manage Toronto harbour and waterfront lands in Toronto and provide for their improvement. Its initial plans included the cleanup of Sunnyside Beach , and a breakwater from the Humber River to Bathurst Street. In the central core, the Commission infilled lands south of Harbour Street to their current waterfront line. To the east, the Commission infilled the lands of the Don River marsh, for use as industrial and port lands. The bulk of these works were completed by 1925. The Harbour Commission

6561-558: Was to modernize the system, and divest the government of port operations and make the financially self-sufficient where possible. At the time, there were 2,700 ports under federal government authority. The vast majority were reclassified as regional or local. Under the divestiture, the government was to offer the Transport Canada harbours to other federal departments, then provinces and territories, and finally to industries or municipalities. Similar divestitures had taken place previously in

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