The federal government has pulled the plug on Ontario’s push to bring jets to Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport, closing the door on a longer runway that would have reshaped the downtown waterfront.
Transport Minister Steven MacKinnon announced the decision Friday, capping off a public consultation period that drew a wave of feedback from residents on issues ranging from traffic and cost to noise and neighbourhood liveability. More than 87,000 people weighed in through Transport Canada’s review process, and the responses helped steer the government’s final call.
In a statement, MacKinnon said Ottawa remains open to working with its partners on the region’s broader transportation needs, but drew a firm line around what it won’t accept. The government will not greenlight any proposal that eats into cherished public spaces such as Little Norway Park or Hanlan’s Point Beach, adds to noise levels, carries serious environmental consequences, or gets in the way of Toronto’s efforts to build more housing.
For now, MacKinnon said, Ottawa’s attention is fixed solely on the runway safety upgrades already underway at the island airport work that is separate from the jet expansion proposal and is expected to wrap up by mid-2027.
The rejection lands as a significant setback for Ontario Premier Doug Ford, who had made the airport expansion a signature priority of his government. Ford’s team argued the project could pump billions into the provincial economy annually and create thousands of jobs, framing it as a boost to connectivity across Ontario and beyond. Ontario’s Transportation Minister said the province still intends to keep pushing for the expansion despite Friday’s announcement.
The fight over Billy Bishop had already spilled into provincial-municipal tensions. Earlier this year, Queen’s Park passed legislation stripping Toronto of its seat at the table in the three-way agreement that governs the airport, effectively taking over the city’s stake alongside the federal government and the Toronto Port Authority.
That move has left Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow pressing for restitution. Reacting to Friday’s news, Chow thanked Prime Minister Mark Carney and MacKinnon for what she called listening to the people of Toronto, crediting sustained public pressure with tipping the outcome. She also renewed her demand that the province hand back the city’s land, arguing there’s no justification for Queen’s Park to continue holding onto Little Norway Park, the Toronto Islands, or Hanlan’s Point now that the expansion isn’t proceeding.
The Toronto Port Authority, which owns and runs the airport, confirmed it had been told of the federal government’s narrowed focus and said it would continue working to complete the safety project while keeping the city and region’s long-term needs in view.
Carney had signalled caution on the file even before consultations launched, saying over the summer that he hadn’t yet formed a view on Ford’s plan and that there were, in his words, a lot of issues still to work through. Friday’s decision suggests those concerns ultimately won out over the province’s economic case for expansion.
