Volunteers communicating the need for Pickering Airport
By Ted Nickerson First, an admission: I am a long-time supporter of the full economic development of the federal Pickering lands, including a new major airport. Sure, I was disappointed by the federal decision not to build an airport in Pickering. I was surprised, too, since all studies commissioned over the last 20 years by […]
“I almost wish I hadn’t gone down the rabbit-hole…and yet…and yet” Alice in Wonderland I should have realized that, in this day and age, it doesn’t take much to bring out the conspiracy theorists but that’s exactly what my recent posting “Missing Aviation Capacity”, has done. Thanks to a recent freedom of information request, […]
In April 2023, Minister of Transport Omar Alghabra announced a study on aviation capacity. This continued the tradition of using independent advisors to ensure good governance of Canada’s airports and prevent influence from business interests, regional competition, and corruption. However, recent events suggest a serious issue has arisen. The introduction of the announcement of the […]
On Monday, a surprise dramatic announcement took place that could cost taxpayers billions. Canada’s Transport Minister, Anita Anand, said the Federal Liberal government has decided against allowing the development of Pickering Airport. Minister Anand’s promised to transfer the “vast majority” of federal land set aside for economic development and an airport to Parks Canada. This […]
By Ted Nickerson Back in March 2023, I posted my “Final” update to passenger recovery post-COVID. Well, I couldn’t let it go and have discovered some surprising insights that everyone needs to hear. Here is a June 2024 snapshot (a snapshot since Statistics Canada, a key credible data source, has not released the 2023 Canadian […]
An AEZ (Airport Employment Zone), also called an Airport Economic Zone, or an Advanced Enterprise Zone can be defined as: A centre of urban and regional economic growth, which relies on the speed and flow of the economy of an airport. For industry, an AEZ enables a global connection to customers, employees, and logistics. […]
Did the April 24th, 2023 Pickering City council meeting go absolutely BANANAs (Build Absolutely Nothing Anywhere Near Anyone) over a motion playing municipal politics with a federally mandated new airport? While the city has little control over if and when the airport is built, that did not stop two local councilors from putting forth […]
The new Pickering airport is a critical part of Canada’s future economic and aviation infrastructure. Yet the stories recently appearing in our local press rarely mention this. They do not quote aviation or business organizations and rarely touch on the benefits of the airport. Instead, they are covering the topic with a political focus. Why […]
A new airport in North Pickering just east of Toronto is now one of the centerpieces of the Durham Region’s draft official plan. While the plan must still be approved by the province, this is expected to be a nonissue. So, what are the next steps on the path to shovels in the ground on […]
By Ted Nickerson Building on my first “Philosophically Speaking” posting, I think the topic of the business case for the current and future use of the Federal Pickering lands deserves comment. I offer several perspectives on this. Is there a business case for farming, or for an airport? Where are they? What does the North […]
