Ontario Premier Doug Ford says his government is prepared to seize land from the City of Toronto in order to move forward with a plan to expand runways at Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport and allow jets to operate at the downtown waterfront facility.
Speaking to reporters Tuesday at Queen’s Park, Ford confirmed that the province could expropriate the city’s share of the airport lands if municipal officials block the plan. The move would give Ontario a seat at the table in decisions about the future of the airport, which is currently governed by a decades-old agreement between the city, the federal government and the Toronto Port Authority.
“I was very straightforward with her that we will be taking over the airport,” Ford said, referring to a recent meeting he had with Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow.