Mayor Olivia Chow's Toronto

[thettctransitfanatic]

'Just a power grab': Chow says Toronto will fight back against seizure of Little Norway Park for Billy Bishop expansion

Toronto mayor Olivia Chow hopes to rally Torontonians to combat the Ford government's plans to take over and expand Billy Bishop Airport.

toronto.citynews.ca

‘Just a power grab’: Chow says Toronto will fight back against seizure of Little Norway Park for Billy Bishop expansion​

The gloves are coming off as Toronto mayor Olivia Chow attempts to rally Torontonians to combat the Doug Ford government’s plans to take over and expand Billy Bishop Airport.


On Thursday, the Province introduced the Building Billy Bishop Airport Act, 2026, which looks to further develop the airport by extending the runway to allow jets to operate from the island facility.


If passed, the province will take over the City of Toronto’s role in the tripartite agreement between the City, Toronto Port Authority and the federal government that governs the airport. It will also expropriate city-owned lands at the airport, which includes one-third of Little Norway Park alongside Eireann Quay.


The 2.4 hectare park at Bathurst Street and Queens Quay West was established in 1986 and its name commemorates the World War II training base, used by the Norwegian Air Force, that once used the site.


Along with the park, the Province has listed seven other properties near the airport slated to be expropriated, but Chow is zeroing in on the greenspace as the battleground for the City’s fight against what she calls a “power grab” by the Province.


“We will not stand for it,” she said while speaking to media at the park on Friday morning, surrounded by local residents supporting the cause.
“This is not an empty piece of land. This park is alive, it is loved, it belongs to this community. And the Province wants to pave it into a parking lot. Let that sink in,” she added, followed by chants of “shame” from the gathered residents.


“To the provincial government: you do not get to erase this park without a fight. And to the people standing here and to every Torontonian, we need your voice – talk to your neighbours, make some noise. This park belongs to you and we are going to keep it that way.”


Chow called on the Province to withdraw the bill or at the very least, amend it.


“Just take it out from legislation and withdraw it,” she said.


“Hey, they could amend the legislation and exclude this beautiful park. Go ahead, I will be very grateful if they do that.”

Minister of Transportation Prabmeet Sarkaria told reporters on Thursday that the Province is working with the City on the plans.


“We have a collaborative relationship with the city. Our position on this has been that we want to move it forward – we’re going to take this airport,” he said, citing the importance of securing “this asset for the long term.”


“[It is] really important to see the modernization of it, to see more investment into that airport. So our position is we’re going to continue to engage with the City but we’re going to take over Billy Bishop, expand it, get more flights coming into it and giving passengers more options.”


Chow maintains that neither City staff nor residents have been made privy to any plans for the expansion. She also pointed out that the federal government hasn’t signed off on it yet either


“Show us the plan. What is the plan? Has anyone been consulted? No. Does the federal government know what’s going on? I doubt it. Certainly the City of Toronto, we have not been consulted, the people here has not been consulted, no one has seen a concrete plan … who knows precisely what is happening?” said Chow.


“One thing we do know is that they want to expropriate this park and erase it – that is what we will not stand for.”

However, Sarkaria told CityNews on Friday that the park will not be paved over as Chow believes.


“[Little] Norway Park is going to continue to be there and it’s going to operate as a park. What happens in the process of expropriation is that we’ve identified some PINs and locations that will be necessary for the modernization of the airport. Once we move forward, conduct surveys, we’ll have greater certainty on it, but I know for sure that Norway Park will continue to remain as we expand the airport and modernize the runway,” he said.


“This is too important of a project to be caught up in this manner- we’ve got billions of dollars of investments that will come, it’s going to support air travel for millions of passengers across Ontario.”


Sarkaria added that in the coming months, surveys will be conducted and if it is determined that some parcels of land listed in the legislation are not needed, they will be released.


He also said that part of the reason the Province is stepping in and taking over Billy Bishop Airport is because the City has failed to provide certainty for its future, citing the 2024 extension of the lease for 12 years – a term he feels is too short. In addition he says in the past, the City has expressed the desire to remove the airport entirely and replace it with a park and “to us that was unacceptable.”


“[We need to] give it the long term vision that it needs, to give it the long term confidence for investors that it needs,” he said.


“Billy Bishop is a key asset for this province for this country and we need to move forward and give it certainty and longevity.”

However, Sarkaria told CityNews on Friday that the park will not be paved over as Chow believes.


“[Little] Norway Park is going to continue to be there and it’s going to operate as a park. What happens in the process of expropriation is that we’ve identified some PINs and locations that will be necessary for the modernization of the airport. Once we move forward, conduct surveys, we’ll have greater certainty on it, but I know for sure that Norway Park will continue to remain as we expand the airport and modernize the runway,” he said.


“This is too important of a project to be caught up in this manner- we’ve got billions of dollars of investments that will come, it’s going to support air travel for millions of passengers across Ontario.”


Sarkaria added that in the coming months, surveys will be conducted and if it is determined that some parcels of land listed in the legislation are not needed, they will be released.


He also said that part of the reason the Province is stepping in and taking over Billy Bishop Airport is because the City has failed to provide certainty for its future, citing the 2024 extension of the lease for 12 years – a term he feels is too short. In addition he says in the past, the City has expressed the desire to remove the airport entirely and replace it with a park and “to us that was unacceptable.”


“[We need to] give it the long term vision that it needs, to give it the long term confidence for investors that it needs,” he said.


“Billy Bishop is a key asset for this province for this country and we need to move forward and give it certainty and longevity.”

Meanwhile City Council voted in favour of Chow’s motion to move forward with any legal recourse that might be available.

 

[picard102]

Is there any reasonable chance the city has a legal foot to stand on here?
As long as the province compensates them, I don't see how the province doesn't have the power to just expropriate what they want.

 

[nightstreak]

Is there any reasonable chance the city has a legal foot to stand on here?
As long as the province compensates them, I don't see how the province doesn't have the power to just expropriate what they want.

The city could drag this through the courts long enough for Ford to be kicked out in 2029 (assuming Ontarians aren't idiots and elect him to a 4th term). Everything in government moves so slowly, it's unlikely that any work will have gotten started even without litigation. The heavily litigated Osgoode Hall tree cut down sat empty for 3 years before any work got started.

 

[txlseries4]

Minister of Transportation Prabmeet Sarkaria told reporters on Thursday that the Province is working with the City on the plans.


“We have a collaborative relationship with the city. Our position on this has been that we want to move it forward – we’re going to take this airport,” he said, citing the importance of securing “this asset for the long term.”

Very obviously a lie and just making shit up. Maybe they *will* be working with the city, but part of that would be the city being legally bound by legislation. Yesterday when this news dropped City Council was meeting, Mayor Chow moved a motion at council and the City Manager and City Solicitor had no warning about this, were unable to answer questions of councillors, and were flustered by the whole thing.

 

[txlseries4]

Is there any reasonable chance the city has a legal foot to stand on here?
As long as the province compensates them, I don't see how the province doesn't have the power to just expropriate what they want.

In response to similar questions by some councillors yesterday the city solicitor reminded that even though the city ultimately its fight over the reduction of seats in 2018, it initially won its fight at the lower courts and only lost at the supreme court with a "strong dissent" (5-4).

 

[DSCToronto]

Very obviously a lie and just making shit up. Maybe they *will* be working with the city, but part of that would be the city being legally bound by legislation. Yesterday when this news dropped City Council was meeting, Mayor Chow moved a motion at council and the City Manager and City Solicitor had no warning about this, were unable to answer questions of councillors, and were flustered by the whole thing.

Since the Bill was only tabled yesterday it is understandable the city Manager and Lawyer were unwilling to say too much. Loose lips sink cases!

 

[picard102]

The city could drag this through the courts long enough for Ford to be kicked out in 2029 (assuming Ontarians aren't idiots and elect him to a 4th term). Everything in government moves so slowly, it's unlikely that any work will have gotten started even without litigation. The heavily litigated Osgoode Hall tree cut down sat empty for 3 years before any work got started.

What, other than compensation, would they be able to drag through the courts?

 

[nightstreak]

What, other than compensation, would they be able to drag through the courts?

The city disputes the Province taking over our role in the Tripartite Agreement which has kilometres of legal ink going back decades and implications for the city and its residents.
The city disputes the airport extension itself and its destruction of hundreds of billions in damage to land value along the route, including investments over the last 20 years in Waterfront Toronto.

Take your pick, this gets locked in litigation for years. Doug Ford backs off after the public turns against him: Torontonians insulted by him attacking our city, Ontarians outside Toronto pissed off that Doug only focuses on Toronto. Doug Ford isn't a lame duck (or he doesn't think he is). If this drags on close enough to the next election, he's going to feel the heat.

 

[txlseries4]

Since the Bill was only tabled yesterday it is understandable the city Manager and Lawyer were unwilling to say too much. Loose lips sink cases!

For sure. On many questions both were simply saying they hadn't seen the legislation and only the press release. Their responses through the whole thing were a stark contrast to how composed and prepared they typically are.

There was this exchange at one point;
Pasternak: So we've known for a couple weeks they were moving in this direction, the team wasn't given any kind of advance briefing on what was coming or..?

City Manager: *scoffs* No. I would say that's not uncommon, while we have lots of conversations back and forth, we are rarely provided, with these types of things, we are rarely provided that kind of notice that this is coming and the detail of it. So while we have lots of conversations back and forth that conversation has been trying to understand where this might head and the timing, but even that the timing I don't think was confirmed with us in our conversations either, just that it was imminent.

 

[picard102]

Maybe they have an argument about the Tripartite Agreement, though I don't really see how when the Province can dissolve the city and council.
If Toronto ceased to exist what happens to their position in the agreement? Does the Tripartite Agreement have a section that deals with this?

 

[nightstreak]

Maybe they have an argument about the Tripartite Agreement, though I don't really see how when the Province can dissolve the city and council.
If Toronto ceased to exist what happens to their position in the agreement? Does the Tripartite Agreement have a section that deals with this?

I think that even Doug Ford is aware of the can of worms that dissolving the city or even just dissolving the elected Mayor and Council would open. Something like that would have unpredictable consequences, ranging from the city (its citizens) going to (legal/organizing) war with the provincial government to the Federal Govt. having to step in to having the national conversation about cities governing themselves.

I don't think this is even worth discussing. It's not going to happen.

Now, we just need a Mayor with a spine to stand up to Ford. Chow has been disappointing in how much she's demurred when Doug Ford has stomped all over our city. If she can't do it, we need someone else leading our city.

 

[Toronto Rocks]

Is there any reasonable chance the city has a legal foot to stand on here?
As long as the province compensates them, I don't see how the province doesn't have the power to just expropriate what they want.

 

[Toronto Rocks]

Chow is just putting a show on for the media in an election year she knows she won't win.

Expropriation is the legal, sovereign act of a government or public authority seizing private property for public use without the owner's consent, typically requiring fair compensation. It is used for infrastructure projects like roads or schools,

 

[Mihairokov]

Now, we just need a Mayor with a spine to stand up to Ford. Chow has been disappointing in how much she's demurred when Doug Ford has stomped all over our city. If she can't do it, we need someone else leading our city.

I think this is harsh on Chow. She's running a city that the Premier has a hyper-fixation on with very few cards in her deck to play against that fixation. I think she's been shrewd in attaining some items in exchange for letting Ford do as he pleases which is better than getting nothing in return. I'm pleased with the response yesterday for Little Norway and I hope more energy is spent at Council to fight back against an overly aggressive provincial government and Premier.

 

[txlseries4]

Now, we just need a Mayor with a spine to stand up to Ford. Chow has been disappointing in how much she's demurred when Doug Ford has stomped all over our city. If she can't do it, we need someone else leading our city.

Are you forgetting the power dynamic and actual reality of what she's done? John Tory said he was going to get the province to take over gardiner/dvp but failed to do it. The province flat out said no. During the 2023 election Bailao said she would get the upload the gardiner/dvp to the province and people scoffed because how could she when Tory couldn't? Chow gets elected, someone Ford characterized as an "unmitigated disaster for the city" and capitalizes on bad press over Ontario Place and gets the province to agree on the upload.

Ford's a premier who wants to do what he wants as he wishes and acts punitively against Toronto, and Chow knows it. She has the political savvy to know coming to an agreement is better than a battle when the opponent has -- by law -- the upper hand. She did exactly that with the Bloor West Village bike lanes. I would find it cathartic have a witty and firm partisan mayor to stand up to Ford, but there is no way that kind of provocation all the time wouldn't lead to Ford being incited into far worse attacks on the city.