Ontario to Expropriate Toronto's Billy Bishop Stake for Jet Expansion

Ontario Premier Doug Ford announced Tuesday that his government will expropriate the City of Toronto's stake in Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport to expand its runway and allow smaller jets to operate from the downtown facility on the Toronto Islands.

The move aims to ease congestion at Toronto Pearson International Airport, foster economic growth and create thousands of jobs, Ford said during a news conference at Queen's Park. "This is a crown jewel," he stated. "We need this desperately." The province owns no direct share in the airport, which is governed by a tripartite agreement among the city, the federal government and the Toronto Port Authority. The city holds about 20 percent of the land, the authority 78 percent and the federal government the rest. Ford pledged full compensation to Toronto, including the roughly $5 million in annual revenue the city collects from property taxes and per-passenger fees.

Currently, only turboprop aircraft serve Billy Bishop, which has operated since 1940 and contributes an estimated $5.3 billion annually to the regional gross domestic product while generating $215 million in tax revenue. Ford argued that allowing quieter, next-generation...