Regional News February 27, 2009 01:54 PM
BY KEELY GRASSER
A rally is under way to help save Buttonville Airport after funding cuts have threatened its operation.
The airport has lost $1.5 million in annual funding from the Greater Toronto Airport Authority (GTAA), after it decided to end a capacity agreement with Buttonville because of declining air traffic.
The agreement saw Buttonville get money in exchange for taking planes in cases of over-capacity or emergencies at Pearson.
Derek Sifton, president of Toronto Airways, which owns and operates Buttonville, he was "surprised by the GTAA to have this issue come upon us," and that without the funding "we have to seriously consider our situation, our hours of operation, our overall operations and even our existence."
This worries Thornhill MPP Peter Shurman, who brought up the situation in the legislature on Thursday.
"Buttonville is second only to Pearson International Airport in handling air traffic is this region and it includes air ambulance, police surveillance, media services, commercial cargo, corporate aviation, charters and private aircraft. As you see, jobs are at stake and so is a vital lifeline for York Region," he said during Thursday's question period.
"I think this was an ill-conceived decision on the part of the Greater Toronto Airport Authority to end the subsidy which it was providing," Transport Minister James Bradley responded. "Minister (Michael) Chan (Markham-Unionville MPP) as well approached me with this, you've approached me with this, the air advisory panel, and it is my intention, as a result of meetings I had, to raise the issue with the Minister of Transport of Canada, with a view to applying pressure to the GTAA to restore that particular subsidy."
A group of organizations and support agencies including the Canadian Owners and Pilots Association and Air Transport Association of Canada, has penned a letter to federal minister of transport John Baird, provincial minister of finance Jim Flaherty and Mr. Shurman.
"The economic well-being and job security of a significant number of tax paying Canadian families and businesses are directly and indirectly tied to this location and the services in provides," the letter reads.
In it the group asks that an agreement that benefits both Buttonville and the GTAA be found to restore the deal or that alternative funding be found.
Markham Mayor Frank Scarpitti has similar hopes that a solution can be found.
He said Buttonville supplies 300 jobs to the area and makes an $80 million economic impact on the local economy.
"Buttonville airport is critically important, I think not only to the economy of Markham and York Region, but in fact, the whole of the GTA," he said.
The mayor said he has already written a letter to the federal minister of transport, urging him to review the situation. He added he's trying to secure a meeting with him.
Mr. Scarpitti said he's asked the Markham Board of Trade to write a similar letter.
He's disappointed at the GTAA's decision, he said.
The GTAA decision was made last fall. It had to give Buttonville six months' notice of the termination of the agreement, thus the April cancellation date.
GTAA spokesperson Trish Krale said the GTAA's been forced to look at its budget and a downturn in air traffic over the last number of months. The Buttonville decision falls under this process.
"The current economic reality ...has forced our hand," Ms Krale said.
Mr. Bradley, in question period, said he's willing to approach the federal government, which is responsible for airports, on the issue.
He added he's willing to meet with the airport officials themselves, along with Mr. Chan, who is on the air advisory panel of the ministry of transportation.
"We're all prepared to go to bat for Buttonville airport because we agree that it is a vital transportation link here in Ontario," he said.
Mr. Sifton said he's approached the federal government, but has gotten nowhere.
Mr. Sifton said he thinks the funding problem is caused by the fact that Buttonville is privately owned, whereas most airports are owned by municipalities.
This isn't the first time the future of Buttonville has come under question.
One great threat speculated is the possibility of the Pickering Airport being built east of Buttonville. A decision on whether or not that airport will be built is expected late this year, by the earliest. The GTAA is currently working on a needs assessment study for the potential airport.
However, as Mr. Shurman said, Pickering Airport, if it goes ahead, is years away.
"So Buttonville is very important," he said.
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