Focus On The Lands, 2013-2014

Durham chair Anderson “...vows to put pressure on the federal government to make a clear decision about plans for a Pickering airport...”durhamregion.com

Municipal candidates on Pickering airport

Publication Date: October 22, 2014

Candidates state their positions on Pickering airport at Ajax-Pickering Board of Trade debate.Ajax News Advertiser

Durham regional chair’s ideas on Pickering airport

Publication Date: October 9, 2014

Durham chair Anderson thinks Pickering airport should be privately run and would be ideal shipping point for agricultural products.Uxbridge Cosmos

Our petition in House of Commons

Publication Date: October 8, 2014

(video) MP Matthew Kellway (NDP, Beaches-East York) continues to present our petition in the House of Commons.YouTube

Feds need to come clean on plans for Federal Lands

Publication Date: August 28, 2014

Tags: Aviation/Airports, Food/Water/Agriculture, Historical

(editorial) A call for the federal government to become much more specific about its plans for future use of the Federal Lands.Pickering News Advertiser

Our priceless natural assets

Publication Date: May 28, 2014

Tags: Aviation/Airports, Environment, Food/Water/Agriculture

(letter to the editor)Whitby high school student explains her generation’s concerns about building Pickering airport.Pickering News Advertiser

Pickering airport important to Scugog?

Publication Date: May 1, 2014

(editorial) Editor thinks that “including the federal government’s stated intention to finally develop the Pickering airport lands” is good news for Scugog township.Port Perry Star

Never was, never will be a business case

Publication Date: April 23, 2014

(letter to the editor) Writer corrects notion that a Pickering airport would benefit the region.Pickering News Advertiser

Think twice about a Pickering airport

Publication Date: April 18, 2014

(letter to the editor) Writer questions why a Pickering airport needed.Clarington This Week

Liberal leader talks about Pickering airport

Publication Date: April 1, 2014

Well, barely, in the first instance. When asked about building a Pickering airport, Justin Trudeau said: “I am not in a position to say whether or not I think the airport should go forward.”Pickering News Advertiser

Hope that Flaherty’s exit will stall airport plans

Publication Date: March 19, 2014

Land Over Landings hopes that new finance minister Joe Oliver won’t continue Jim Flaherty’s Pickering airport project.Toronto Star

Growing up vs growing out

Publication Date: March 19, 2014

(letter to the editor) Land Over Landings supports Ajax Mayor Parish’s vision for “in-fill” urban development, questions Pickering Mayor Ryan’s vision of building greenhouses on top of prime north Pickering farmland.Pickering News Advertiser

Pickering airport presents a risk

Publication Date: March 10, 2014

(letter to the editor) Worries that local taxpayers with be burdened with a Pickering airport project that will potentially be over-built, under-used, with huge cost over-runs.Pickering News Advertiser

Mirabel no model for Pickering

Publication Date: March 8, 2014

(letter to the editor) Land Over Landings responds to letter about jobs at failed Mirabel airport.Pickering News Advertiser

MP Chisu on proceeding with Pickering airport

Publication Date: February 27, 2014

MP Corneliu Chisu (Pickering-Scarborough East, Conservative) speaks in Parliament about proceeding with the Pickering Airport.Parliament of Canada, Hansard

MP begins reading our petition in House of Commons

Publication Date: February 26, 2014

MP Matthew Kellway (Beaches-East York, NDP) has begun reading our petition in the House of Commons.Hansard/CPAC

Shock and dismay over Pickering airport plan

Publication Date: February 20, 2014

(letter to the editor) Pickering airport would be disaster for the community.Pickering News Advertiser

Mayor Ryan boosts Pickering airport

Publication Date: February 20, 2014

Mayor Dave Ryan shared his views on Pickering airport during the annual Mayors’ Breakfast at Pickering-Ajax Board of Trade. (Ajax Mayor Steve Parish also addressed the invitation-only crowd.) Read p. 8 onwards.durhamregion.com

Pickering Council passes Federal Lands resolution

Publication Date: February 15, 2014

(video: 131:20 to 191:37) Pickering Council debates and unanimously passes resolution regarding the Federal Lands.Rogers Durham TV

Let’s review Mirabel

Publication Date: February 15, 2014

(letter to the editor) Mirabel airport has some jobs.Pickering News Advertiser

Councillor questions airport reference in federal budget

Publication Date: February 13, 2014

Pickering councillor wonders what happened to City’s call for openness and transparency; per federal budget: “Government is consulting with a broad range of stakeholders on the future of the Pickering lands. To date, over 600 submissions have been received from the public. In the coming months, the Government will hold a series of roundtables with local stakeholders to ensure development benefits local businesses.” Who knew?Pickering News Advertiser

Airport would be horrible mistake

Publication Date: February 12, 2014

(letter to the editor) Writer disputes claims in January 30 editorial.Pickering News Advertiser

Airport lands an opportunity to grow

Publication Date: February 12, 2014

(letter to the editor) Writer disputes claims in January 30 editorial.Pickering News Advertiser

Airport editorial doesn’t fly

Publication Date: February 12, 2014

(letter to the editor) Writer disputes claims in January 30 editorial. Pickering News Advertiser

Paving the land that feeds us

Publication Date: February 6, 2014

(op-ed) Land Over Landings’ response to the January 30 editorial, “Bring on Pickering airport, but keep residents in loop.”Pickering News Advertiser

Pickering Lands and urban sprawl

Publication Date: February 4, 2014

Tags: Aviation/Airports, Environment

Is the federal government’s plan for the Pickering lands just a cover to allow more urban Now Toronto

Paving farmland no solution

Publication Date: February 4, 2014

(letter to the editor) Writer disputes claims in January 30 editorial.Pickering News Advertiser

Appalled over Pickering airport support

Publication Date: February 2, 2014

(letter to the editor) Writer disputes claims of January 30 editorial.Pickering News Advertiser

Bring on Pickering airport

Publication Date: January 30, 2014

(editorial) Writer says airport would bring jobs, but a “chunk, even a small chunk” of land should be kept for local farmers and students of Durham College’s Centre for Food.Pickering News Advertiser

Report on Pickering’s resolution

Publication Date: January 30, 2014

News report (pp. 1, 6) on Pickering City Council’s unanimous support of the Jan. 27 motion. Uxbridge Cosmos

City Hall rally to protest Pickering airport

Publication Date: January 28, 2014

Report on rally at Pickering City Hall before council votes unanimously to support a motion demanding federal government transparency on plans for the Federal Lands, including participation by the City and its citizens, a business case, a comprehensive environmental assessment, a commitment to respect designated Greenbelt, Moraine, and Green Space lands, etc. [CTV News at 11:30 also covered the Council meeting.]CITY-TV

Report on Pickering Council’s airport resolution

Publication Date: January 28, 2014

(first 2:35 min of video broadcast) News report on Pickering City Council’s unanimous support of the Jan. 27 motion demanding federal government transparency on plans for the Federal Lands, including participation by local stakeholders.CHEX-TV Durham

Airport work should be open and transparent

Publication Date: January 28, 2014

News report on Pickering City Council’s unanimous support of the Jan. 27 motion.Ajax News Advertiser

Canada’s messy big-ticket airport projects

Publication Date: January 22, 2014

Tags: Aviation/Airports, Historical

PhD candidate Bret Edwards is studying the history of Canada’s “messy and ill-conceived” airport projects in the jet age.The Toronto Review of Books blog

About demolitions

Publication Date: November 28, 2013

Tags: Historical

(online article, no longer accessible) A report on the ongoing heartbreak of home demolition on the Federal Lands.Daily Commercial News

Airport no, agriculture yes

Publication Date: November 19, 2013

(letter to editor) Writer responds to Nov. 4 letter (below) that suggested a Pickering airport would bring jobs and convenience.Pickering News Advertiser

More on Claremont public information meeting

Publication Date: October 24, 2013

Coverage (p. 4) of the same public information meeting at the Claremont Community Centre on the need to protect foodlands and fresh water sources.Uxbridge Cosmos

Claremont public info meeting on foodland protection

Publication Date: October 23, 2013

Coverage of public information meeting at Claremont Community Centre, featuring guest speaker Carl Cosack, of Food & Water First, on the need to protect foodlands and fresh water sources.Pickering News Advertiser

Turbulence ahead

Publication Date: October 18, 2013

Is rising Tory star, MP Chris Alexander, at odds with his finance minister over the revived Pickering airport plan? Whichever way he turns, he faces strong opposition. Maclean’s targets that uncomfortable space between rock and hard place. The history, interviews, audio clips, interactive maps, it’s all there. And given nation-wide coverage too!Macleans.ca

Tour of the Lands

Publication Date: October 17, 2013

Columnist Roger Varley writes (p. 7) about his Oct. 9 tour of the Pickering federal lands.Uxbridge Cosmos

Pickering airport project

Publication Date: October 16, 2013

(video clip time frame 10:55 to 21:00) Ontario’s French television network news program 360 features a 10-minute documentary on the Pickering airport project.TFO 360

Paving over farmland for an airport we don’t need

Publication Date: October 10, 2013

Following his Oct. 9 tour of the Pickering Federal Lands, NDP MP Matthew Kellway emphasizes the importance of preserving these farmlands to sustain the GTA into the future.Huffington Post Canada

Airport plans leave farmers in the air

Publication Date: October 9, 2013

Tags: Food/Water/Agriculture, Historical

The Tapscott family describes the difficulty of farming with year-to-year leases on the north Pickering lands.Toronto Star

Airport foes winning converts

Publication Date: October 8, 2013

(letter to the editor) and Over Landings chair Mary Delaney congratulates News Advertiser’s editor for finally recognizing the need for retaining agriculture on the Federal Lands.Pickering News Advertiser

Saving some farmland should be in airport plans

Publication Date: October 3, 2013