City Warns Billy Bishop Jet Expansion Could Degrade Harbour Water

A new city report warns that Premier Doug Ford's push to allow jets at Billy Bishop Airport could severely degrade water quality in Toronto's Inner Harbour. According to reporting by CBC Toronto, city staff cautioned that a longer runway could limit the harbour's ability to flush out sewage, plastic debris, and other pollutants.

While the province has not yet released official expansion plans, city staff based their report on a 2017 environmental assessment. That assessment found that extending the runway by 200 metres would reduce water flow through the harbour's western channel by approximately 50 per cent, meaning pollutants could remain in the harbour twice as long. George Arhonditsis, a professor of physical and environmental sciences at the University of Toronto, told CBC Toronto that reduced flow could negatively impact biodiversity and recreational activities.

City officials further warned that these environmental impacts could negate the benefits of the Don River and Central Waterfront Project, a multi-billion-dollar infrastructure effort currently underway to improve water quality. Mark Mattson, a board member with the advocacy organization Swim Drink Fish, described the potential waste of money as "reckless" and noted that the province's plan to designate the area a "special economic zone" could allow the project to bypass environmental regulations. The city report added that the designation could also exempt the province from the lakefill material restrictions typically required to extend the runway.

Mayor Olivia Chow has condemned the lack of transparency regarding the expansion, stating the city is not getting answers and calling for the release of the plan. City staff emphasized that using materials that meet environmental standards is critical to protecting recreational activities and the city's drinking water source.