Pickering Airport (Transport Canada/GTAA, Proposed)

[CapitalSeven]

In the 60s there was a scheme to build an airport on the Leslie Spit. I'd like to see that dusted off and debated as an alternative to Pickering.

 

[lenaitch]

That's not an airport on the Spit - it's a complete new fill area outside of the Islands. The Spit is to the east. Certainly not big enough to serve as a major airport for large commercial aircraft - moving Billy Bishop a little farther away from downtown perhaps, but the whole proposal looks to chase it out with further urbanization on the Islands so little net gain.
That proposal deserves to stay in the '60s.

 

[micheal_can]

That's not an airport on the Spit - it's a complete new fill area outside of the Islands. The Spit is to the east. Certainly not big enough to serve as a major airport for large commercial aircraft - moving Billy Bishop a little farther away from downtown perhaps, but the whole proposal looks to chase it out with further urbanization on the Islands so little net gain.
That proposal deserves to stay in the '60s.

And so does the Pickering proposal. Really, the only thing it is good for is ensuring urban sprawl does not happen in that area.

 

[kEiThZ]

Catchment numbers are funny business when you don't consider access links.

Next, the most profitable travelers are frequent flyers. Good luck to any new Pickering carrier trying to steal them from Air Canada. Even WestJet has a tough time poaching business traffic. And they're at Pearson.

 

[Isotack]

It's hardly the north-eastern fringe of the GGH area. There's Pickering (100k), Ajax (120k), then Oshawa (160k). That's almost 400,000 people within the immediate eastern catchment before including the series of towns leading to Peterborough 50miles away, the actual north-eastern fringe of the Greater Golden Horseshoe. What else does Pickering straddle? Toronto, the largest city in the country. And York Region. It's pretty central all things considered. If a new large airport were to be considered today I'm pretty sure this site would be it, which likely helped the reasoning years ago.

I'm not too keen either way. But one thing I'm curious about is sure maybe Pearson can be significantly expanded, but what about the roads leading into and out of it. They seem like they're pretty well full. And it seems like people are betting on Hamilton being a contender for a secondary major airport. but that also appears to be pretty well choked in. The 403 up/down the mountain is like the one way in and it's tight during rush. Don't see that being expanded. And in terms of fringe-worthiness, location-wise it appears moreso.

Durham is home to over 600k people. You forgot Whitby with 130k alone.

 

[micheal_can]

Durham is home to over 600k people. You forgot Whitby with 130k alone.

That is the population of just Hamilton. One could argue that if the city of Hamilton cannot generate enough to support a massive airport, then Durham won't either.

 

[isaidso]

Pearson's catchment area is the Greater Golden Horseshoe. For flights beyond Canada/US it's likely even more expansive. Airports are regional in nature. Pearson's popularity is based on the variety of connections it offers rather than the number of people that live in Mississauga. Likewise Munro's lack of passengers has little to do with Hamilton having too few people.

In the long term it makes sense that we have 3 large airports: 1 in the east (Pickering), 1 in the west (Hamilton), and Pearson in between (Mississauga). On top of that we have the convenience of Billy Bishop for shorter flights (downtown Toronto).

 

[micheal_can]

Pearson's catchment area is the Greater Golden Horseshoe. For flights beyond Canada/US it's likely even more expansive. Airports are regional in nature. Pearson's popularity is based on the variety of connections it offers rather than the number of people that live in Mississauga. Likewise Munro's lack of passengers has little to do with Hamilton having too few people.

But you are trying to blow holes in the arguments many pro Pickering airport try to use. Keep it up.

 

[Woodbridge_Heights]

Pearson's catchment area is the Greater Golden Horseshoe. For flights beyond Canada/US it's likely even more expansive. Airports are regional in nature. Pearson's popularity is based on the variety of connections it offers rather than the number of people that live in Mississauga. Likewise Munro's lack of passengers has little to do with Hamilton having too few people.

In the long term it makes sense that we have 3 large airports: 1 in the east (Pickering), 1 in the west (Hamilton), and Pearson in between (Mississauga). On top of that we have the convenience of Billy Bishop for shorter flights (downtown Toronto).

It will be interesting to see how Swoop's operations at Hamilton affect the airport. One would expect that having some regular scheduled flights (even if it is operated by a LCC airline) would help the airport.

 

[micheal_can]

It will be interesting to see how Swoop's operations at Hamilton affect the airport. One would expect that having some regular scheduled flights (even if it is operated by a LCC airline) would help the airport.

Swoop, and other LCCs should all move to other, lower cost airports. This would have the added benefit that they can charge even less. Doing so could draw some traffic away from Pearson, which means it is saved for a bit longer.

 

[Admiral Beez]

That's not an airport on the Spit - it's a complete new fill area outside of the Islands.

There's something to be said for building the airport in Lake Ontario rather than on our remaining farm and rural lands. The locals can hardly complain, when they're aren't any locals.

Japan's Kansai International Airport is a good example.

Also, Japan's Chubu Centrair International Airport.

If we're shutting down the Pickering OPG plant in 2024, that seems like a good space to start the landward portion of the new island airport. No one is going to want to reside on that land.

 

[gweed123]

There's something to be said for building the airport in Lake Ontario rather than on our remaining farm and rural lands. The locals can hardly complain, when they're aren't any locals.

Japan's Kansai International Airport is a good example.

I think those types of airports (Hong Kong is another one) are built more out of necessity than choice. Japan doesn't have very many flat areas suitable for an airport that are close enough to urban centres. And when they do, they build on land (like Tokyo Narita for example).

If you're going to build out in the lake, might as well build it closer to Downtown Toronto than Pickering.

If we're shutting down the Pickering OPG plant in 2024, that seems like a good space to start the landward portion of the new island airport. No one is going to want to reside on that land.

Doesn't the reactor area have to remain dormant for a pretty long time before it can be fully demolished?

 

[micheal_can]

I see everyone is enjoying the edibles allowed now....

The cost for an airport in the middle of the lake would be a lot higher than you may want to believe. They also have to get the fill from somewhere. The Leslie Spit is basically rubble from construction and tunneling in the city.

As far as the nuclear option, putting an airport where an old reactor is, likely isn't a good idea. People would fear the nonexistent radiation.

All of this silliness when we have another airport close to what is needed.

 

[rbt]

Doesn't the reactor area have to remain dormant for a pretty long time before it can be fully demolished?

OPG has a 40 year schedule for Pickering decommissioning, scheduled to start in 2028, though a majority of the current exclusion zone land will be available pretty quickly for redevelopment.

Pickering Nuclear > Future of Pickering | OPG

Explore how OPG is continuing to deliver, clean reliable power while planning for the safe and effective decommissioning of the Pickering station in 2024.

www.opg.com

 

[lenaitch]

Swoop, and other LCCs should all move to other, lower cost airports. This would have the added benefit that they can charge even less. Doing so could draw some traffic away from Pearson, which means it is saved for a bit longer.

Unless the business model of LCCs relies on connections.