Statements
See my official statements on key policy and community issues here.
Billy Bishop Airport
Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport (BBTCA) is a crucial service for our city, and I fully support efforts to extend the Tripartite Agreement to help BBTCA comply with federal safety regulations. Without an extension, we risk losing a major economic engine and a key part of our city’s growth. This is about keeping Toronto moving and growing.
For those in areas such as Scarborough Southwest, it is a vital alternative to Pearson, which congestion often renders inaccessible.
Extending the Tripartite Agreement is about helping Toronto grow and thrive. A successful extension will allow significant infrastructure upgrades to be made to meet federal safety standards, allowing BBTCA to serve Torontonians without major impacts on residents. The airport’s history of responsible operations, including voluntarily capping flight numbers and operational hours, show its long-term viability and commitment to being a responsible neighbour.
Accessing the Toronto Islands
Accessing the public lands of the Toronto Islands is a fundamental right for Torontonians that is being impeded upon by the unreliability of the ferries. Their unreliability and high fares are protecting privilege by ensuring that the Islands remain inaccessible to thousands of Torontonians. Before pursuing the already-delayed and over-budget process of replacing the ferries with new, electric boats, the City should explore the possibility of building a land bridge to the Islands. As Councillor Burnside and I note, the eastern side of Ward’s Island is only 250 metres away from the Port Lands – building a bridge would not only ensure reliable, year-round access, but would increase accessibility for emergency services. Click here to read the motion put forward in City Council on June 27th by Councillor Burnside (Ward 16-Don Valley East).
TELUS Call Centres
Closure of the Ontario Science Centre
The closure of the OSC is a detriment to us all. I am urging City Council to fight to keep the OSC open in its current location. I support Councillors Matlow and Burnside in their motion to conduct a site analysis in order to asses the feasibility of a City takeover of the current site. Click here to see the motion put forward by Councillors Matlow (Ward 12, Toronto-St. Paul’s) and Burnside (Ward 16-Don Valley East).
Update 7/29:
The report by the provincial Auditor-General on closure of the Science Centre has revealed glaring deficiencies in the decision-making process leading up to the closure. In July City Council, I called for increased collaboration between the City and Province to find a way to keep the Science Centre in its current location.