Category: Economics

Transform Pickering: The Airport Perspective

Mark Brooks

By Mark Brooks and Ted Nickerson On November 18, 2020, the Urban Land Institute (ULI) held a virtual event called “Transform Pickering: Big Moves in the GTA’s Frontier City”.  Moderated by Emma Ward (Bousfield Inc), the session provided a forum for Dave Ryan, Mayor City of Pickering, assisted by Paula Bustard, Fiaz Jadoon, and Johan Van’t Hof, to present key strategic projects and the long-term vision that will fundamentally transform the City of Pickering.   The City’s vision […]

We need Pickering Airport now!

Mark Brooks

By Mark Brooks Traffic at Oshawa airport is now above pre-pandemic levels.  The hangars at airports in the Toronto region are full, some with a waiting list of commercial and private aircraft. At Oshawa a flight school is being culled to reduce noise. Jobs and millions in economic activity are being lost due to the […]

Who is funding Anti-Airport Politics in Pickering?

Mark Brooks

By Mark Brooks Today, five of the six local municipal governments, including the city of Pickering, support building  a new airport and economic development zone. But aviation is a federal jurisdiction and one of the local Members of Parliament, Jennifer O’Connell, is opposed. The new airport, to be built on land already set aside for it […]

They Have Crossed the Line!

Mark Brooks

By Ted Nickerson A local pilot noticed during a training flight what appears to be a substantial construction project underway on the federal Pickering Airport Lands. The pilot, Mark Brooks, posted the photo on social media. Naturally, this gets the immediate attention of Pickering Airport supporters.  What is this? Does it negatively impact a future airport? […]

Saving the Businesses on the Pickering Lands

Mark Brooks

Written by Mark Brooks The recently released KPMG ASA report states that development of Pickering Airport is now viable, and suggests breaking ground on a new industrial airport in 2026. The suggestion is to start with a minimal footprint that can be expanded as needed.  The new airport will be built on thousands of acres […]

Who is Leasing the Pickering Airport Lands?

Mark Brooks

By Mark Brooks In response to a Freedom of Information request, we have received the list of leaseholders for the Pickering lands retained for economic development, including an airport. A big thank you and shout–out to Transport Canada for doing what they could on this politically–charged topic.  Although heavily redacted, the response provides enough information […]

Supporting Aviation Key to Canada’s Pandemic Recovery

Mark Brooks

  Written by Mark Brooks, Oct 5 2020. The Canadian economy is in recession, the planet is on fire, racial injustice has been laid bare and a global pandemic threatens to kill our most vulnerable citizens.  As 2020 turns into a dumpster fire of a year overburdened with multiple crisis, or are they related, and which […]

The New Aircraft of Pickering Airport: A Quest for Efficiency  

Mark Brooks

Mark Brooks, Sept 17, 2020 In 2029, Pickering Airport will be open. What type of aircraft will call it home? To answer that question, we need to understand two of the forces driving the need for the new airport. One is the economic freedom behind the success of the municipalities in the Greater Toronto Area, the immigration it attracts and […]

Toronto’s Pandemic Recovery Will Require New Airport Infrastructure

Mark Brooks

By Mark Brooks Passenger aviation is now in the early stages of restarting from its COVID-19-induced shutdown. As the pandemic continues to turn the world upside down, airports and airlines are grappling with the new normal. How can they safely provide critical transportation services, moving both people and goods, to keep the economy going? How […]

Aviation Will Come Roaring Back!

Mark Brooks

By Ted Nickerson In 2019, major international aviation agencies (ICAO, IATA) predicted that global passenger volumes would double by 2037.  Annual passenger growth had been healthy, and all looked well.  That changed in early 2020 when the COVID-19 pandemic struck. Cities, regions, and even countries went into lock-down.  Borders closed.  Aviation commercial passenger volumes crashed.  […]