Because Food Is A Growing Concern
Use the “browse articles” menu to zero-in on links to hundreds of articles and reports.
Focus On The Lands concentrates on the past, present, and future of the Federal Lands.
The Local Story takes a broader look – at food, water, farming, aviation, and climate change as they apply to Southern Ontario.
The Bigger Picture constitutes a worldwide survey of articles and reports on these topics.
Publication Date: July 21, 2021
Tags: Aviation/Airports, Climate Change
Ottawa unveils plans for high-frequency rail, with the northern Toronto-Ottawa route crossing the Federal Lands, although no Pickering stop is anticipated. Our Chair comments on the potential impact of the plans.durhamregion.com
Publication Date: July 7, 2021
Tags: Aviation/Airports, Environment, RNUP
Ontario Nature recognizes the efforts of Land Over Landings with a coveted conservation award for helping to protect land formerly dedicated to a future airport.durhamregion.com
Publication Date: June 1, 2020
Tags: Aviation/Airports
Not, strictly speaking, a Focus on the Lands article, but we’ve included it here because it contains the following quote from Transport Minister Marc Garneau: "There’s no question, the airline industry, and I include the airports and NAV Can, which is our air traffic controller, have been disproportionately hit by this pandemic. In some cases their future is in jeopardy." This is why urging the building of a Pickering airport now – assuming the federal government ever approved such a thing – is “plane stupid.”Western Aviation News
Publication Date: May 29, 2020
Tags: Aviation/Airports, Food/Water/Agriculture
(letter to the editor) Writer responds to the May 23 letter (see “Time to build…”), pointing out that the Pickering Lands should be used to grow food, not used for an unneeded airport.durhamregion.com
Publication Date: May 23, 2020
Tags: Aviation/Airports
(letter to the editor) A mind-twisting “build it now” argument, within the context of a deepening climate crisis, and a global pandemic that has brought global aviation to a virtual standstill, with no certain recovery timeline or pathway ahead.durhamregion.com
Publication Date: March 5, 2020
Tags: Aviation/Airports
The first part of Transport Canada’s KPMG Report is released. The local Pickering airport article keeps being updated and keeps changing its focus. After speaking with our Chair it reported that the airport wasn’t needed. Then, after speaking with local politicians, it reported that the airport would be needed by 2036. Where lies the truth? In the report, of course, which states this: “Although all four scenarios identify minor capacity deficits, these can be overcome with modest expansions in aircraft apron and air terminal facilities at the airports in the southern Ontario airport system. Therefore, a new airport is not expected to be required in southern Ontario prior to 2036 to meet the forecast demand. … anticipated increases in the capacity of the southern Ontario airport system are expected to be sufficient to handle projected traffic demand within the 20 year planning horizon of this study.” KPMG didn’t look beyond the period of the study, but the gap they cite between demand forecasts and airport capacity limits at the 2036 point show that no airport will be needed in any foreseeable future. durhamregion.com
Publication Date: March 5, 2020
Tags: Aviation/Airports
Other media coverage of the release of the KPMG study.oshawaexpress.ca
Publication Date: March 5, 2020
Tags: Aviation/Airports
More media coverage on the release of the KPMG study.Durhamregionnews.com
Publication Date: February 27, 2020
Tags: Aviation/Airports, Climate Change
In a complex court decision, Heathrow airport expansion has hit a legal snag, which could well have an impact on all future infrastructure proposals, including those for airports (e.g., Pickering). The UK Court of Appeal used a technicality to rule against Heathrow's expansion – the Department for Transport's "Airports National Policy Statement", which included Heathrow's expansion, failed to take into account climate change commitments made by the UK when it signed up to the Paris Agreement in 2015. The UK government declined to appeal, but Heathrow has appealed the decision to the Supreme Court. Whatever happens, this ruling has set a worldwide precedent and other challenges to other infrastructure projects are now being considered.E&T: Engineering and Technology
Publication Date: February 21, 2020
Tags: Aviation/Airports, Climate Change, Food/Water/Agriculture
Our Regional Chair continues to promote Pickering airport as the way to a better life, just days after presiding over council’s climate emergency declaration. He’s still pushing a “carbon-neutral airport” (something that doesn’t exist and can’t, while planes burn fossil fuel). He’s still pushing vertical agriculture although it isn’t competitive in this part of Ontario. He’s still pushing sustainable aviation, although no one knows what that could be. He’s still quoting job numbers for an airport that has never been approved and whose function, if ever approved, has not been determined. He says that “vertical and indoor farming are changing the agriculture sector” – which isn’t really true.durhamregion.com
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DONATE NOWI challenge anyone to take a drive along the side roads of North Pickering. I am sure you will feel the same outrage that I do.
Kelly Hockley