Focus On The Lands, 2015-2016
Number of Articles: 95
Left in limbo by 1970s airport plan
Publication Date: December 30, 2016
Tags: Aviation/Airports
The Globe’s end-of-year look at the Pickering airport story. They got the heading wrong but the article tells the story well. Globe and Mail
Harvesting what we sow: the Pickering airport lands
Publication Date: December 24, 2016
Tags: Aviation/Airports, Environment, Food/Water/Agriculture, RNUP
A perceptive reflection by two participants of the Abundance GTA tour last October 15 of the Pickering Federal Lands and the Rouge National Urban Park.Ontario Association of Landscape Architects
Agri-business: a made-in-Durham asset
Publication Date: December 19, 2016
Tags: Food/Water/Agriculture
(letter to the editor) Land Over Landings’ chair praises op-ed piece by the associate dean of the Durham College Centre for Food and the Centre’s emphasis on agriculture, culinary, and hospitality-related education. Pickering News Advertiser, durhamregion.com
Pickering airport should proceed
Publication Date: December 18, 2016
Tags: Aviation/Airports
(letter to the editor) Get it started! Create those jobs! This reader isn’t worried that yet another government study failed to give the green light.Pickering News Advertiser, durhamdregion.com
Hopes Pickering airport never takes flight
Publication Date: December 12, 2016
Tags: Aviation/Airports
(letter to the editor) Letter writer does not want to see paradise paved.Whitby This Week, durhamregion.com
Mayor Ryan’s garden debacle
Publication Date: December 9, 2016
Tags: Aviation/Airports
(letter to the editor) Letter writer is not a fan of Pickering’s pro-airport mayor.Pickering News Advertiser, durhamregion.com
Polonsky did his job
Publication Date: December 7, 2016
Tags: Aviation/Airports
(editorial) Published in all of Metroland Media's Durham Region newspapers.durhamregion.com
Interview with Dr Polonsky
Publication Date: December 3, 2016
Tags: Aviation/Airports
Dr Polonsky's thoughts about his report.durhamregion.com
Polonsky report: Is that all there is?
Publication Date: December 1, 2016
Tags: Aviation/Airports
(letter to the editor) Channelling Peggy Lee, letter writer assesses the report’s contents.durhamregion.com
Report on potential Pickering airport released
Publication Date: November 29, 2016
Tags: Aviation/Airports
Local coverage on the release of the Polonsky report.Pickering News Advertiser
The Polonsky Report is out
Publication Date: November 28, 2016
Tags: Aviation/Airports
(media release) Dr Polonsky’s report, “Jets & Jobs,” is quietly released. As an “independent advisor” to Transport Canada he’d been tasked to “conduct market sounding by engaging with targeted stakeholders on the potential future development of the Pickering Lands.” He went further, but it’s unclear how many local stakeholders were interviewed. He found little interest in any economic development other than an airport or agriculture on the remaining Federal Lands. The Transport Minister basically deferred any decision until the second study – the Pickering Lands Aviation Sector Analysis (PLASA) – is completed and released in 2018.Transport Canada
Oshawa MP pushes for Pickering airport?!
Publication Date: November 25, 2016
Tags: Aviation/Airports
(letter to the editor) Writer wants to know why Dr Carrie and Oshawa are promoting Pickering and not Oshawa’s airport.Oshawa This Week
They’re with us!
Publication Date: November 22, 2016
Tags: Aviation/Airports, Food/Water/Agriculture
Support from our friends at Food & Water First on the Dundalk Highlands.Twitter capture
Pickering appoints new councillor
Publication Date: November 21, 2016
Tags: Aviation/Airports
Furious doesn’t begin to describe it.CBC News
Combat apathy with transparency on airport debate
Publication Date: November 21, 2016
Tags: Aviation/Airports
(letter to the editor) Land Over Landings’ executive committee member Reid Williamson writes.durhamregion.com
Farmland too important to pave over
Publication Date: November 17, 2016
Tags: Aviation/Airports, Food/Water/Agriculture
(letter to the editor) Sandra Campbell, original POP activist and co-author of The Moveable Airport, spoke before Pickering’s Planning and Development Committee last Monday night. This edited version of her speech appeared in the Toronto Star.the star.ca
Airport push averted
Publication Date: November 17, 2016
Tags: Aviation/Airports
Uxbridge Cosmos gives good overage to the airport meeting at Pickering City Hall. See article on p. 1 and first two letters to the editor on p. 4.thecosmos.ca
Council meeting details
Publication Date: November 16, 2016
Tags: Aviation/Airports
More complete coverage of the Nov. 14 (and 15!) Pickering airport debate at City Hall. The overflow crowd is the largest in memory, and the original call for Ottawa to expedite the planning and implementation of an airport finally becomes a call to expedite the process to enable a decision on the future of the Lands. Not quite the same thing! The motion is passed unanimously around 12:30 a.m., the mayor clearly unhappy. Pickering News Advertiser
Council meeting on Twitter
Publication Date: November 14, 2016
Tags: Aviation/Airports
After the 24 official delegations finish up, more than a dozen unscheduled delegations speak. Nearly all oppose Pickering airport. Twitter has a more detailed tally and some comments about the committee’s vote, which is approved after an amendment that passes the sniff test. Twitter capture
Another Council meeting progress report
Publication Date: November 14, 2016
Tags: Aviation/Airports
(video) The Council meeting is the lead story on CTV Toronto’s 11:30 p.m. newscast, the results of the vote still to come. The following day, the site shows the results of CTV’s online poll: Should the federal government build the Pickering airport?
Total number of votes: 1,462; Yes: 422 (29 %); No: 1,040 (71 %).
ctvnews.ca
Council meeting progress report
Publication Date: November 14, 2016
Tags: Aviation/Airports
(video) Clip from 11:30 p.m. newscast. Reporter hasn’t anticipated an amended proposal, which was unanimously passed by Council after his report was filed. The change in wording is small but critical: Pickering will now ask the federal government to expedite a decision on a Pickering airport. The reversal has been reset to zero. But the same councillors have to confirm the decision on November 21 when they reconvene as Executive Council.citynews.ca
Group opposes fast-tracking of airport
Publication Date: November 14, 2016
Tags: Aviation/Airports
The Council meeting is getting under way. CTV recaps the lead-up to it.
ctvnews.ca
Global report before the Council meeting
Publication Date: November 14, 2016
Tags: Aviation/Airports
(video, segment runs from 11:07 to 13:34) Global TV’s 5:30 p.m. newscast, before the Planning & Development Committee meeting where the contentious report will be debated.globalnews. ca
Pickering Council’s plan called “stunning” reversal
Publication Date: November 14, 2016
Tags: Aviation/Airports
More news on Pickering Council’s proposed request to the federal government to fast-track construction of Pickering airport.thestar.com
Oshawa MP calls for action on Pickering airport issue
Publication Date: November 10, 2016
Tags: Aviation/Airports
MP Colin Carrie asks: Where’s Dr Polonsky’s report? When is Pickering airport going to be built? Oshawa This Week, durhamregion.com
Pickering Council to push for airport
Publication Date: November 10, 2016
Tags: Aviation/Airports
The Cosmos spreads the word to Uxbridge residents (second item).thecosmos.ca
Pickering Council could ask Ottawa to expedite airport
Publication Date: November 10, 2016
Tags: Aviation/Airports
More from our local news source.durhamregion.com
Sustain Ontario backs us
Publication Date: November 9, 2016
Land Over Landings recently joined the Sustain Ontario network owing to their strong, active advocacy for protecting farmland and food production across Ontario. When they hear of the latest airport threat they immediately appeal to their network of 57 members on our behalf.sustainontario.com
Pickering caught in about-face on airport policy?
Publication Date: November 9, 2016
Tags: Aviation/Airports
Pickering’s mayor says he’s personally in favour of an airport, believing it will create much-needed jobs and a new staff report will urge Ottawa to “get on with it.” CBC News
Toronto’s accidental breadbasket
Publication Date: October 22, 2016
Tags: Food/Water/Agriculture
Sandra Campbell, author of The Moveable Airport, has been involved in the fight against a Pickering airport since the early days of People or Planes. This year she developed Abundance GTA, an eco-arts project to inform/engage Torontonians in the crusade to permanently protect the farmlands and natural habitat on the remaining Federal Lands. Along for the day was Toronto Star columnist Shawn Micaleff.thestar.com
Pickering-Uxbridge MP talks about proposed airport
Publication Date: September 14, 2016
Tags: Aviation/Airports
Pickering-Uxbridge MP Jennifer O’Connell discusses airport, jobs, and other federal priorities.durhamregion.com
An idea that shouldn’t get off the ground
Publication Date: August 13, 2016
Tags: Aviation/Airports
(letters to the editor) Big response to the article “Airport is win-win-win at Pickering,” in Toronto Star (item below).thestar.com
Pickering airport a “win-win-win”
Publication Date: August 6, 2016
Tags: Aviation/Airports
(op-ed)Pilot Samer Bishay tells Toronto Star readers why a Pickering airport would be a “win-win-win.” startouch.thestar.com
Yet another airport study
Publication Date: August 4, 2016
Tags: Aviation/Airports
(letter to the editor) Land Over Landings’ chair makes clear our position on the latest study.durhamregion.com
Transport Canada study follows Transport Canada study
Publication Date: July 24, 2016
Tags: Aviation/Airports
Transport Canada has yet to formally announce its latest Pickering airport study, the “Pickering Lands Aviation Sector Analysis,” which is to be done by KPMG. The general public is getting only minimal information via local media.durhamregion.com
Clues to Transport Canada studies
Publication Date: July 11, 2016
Tags: Aviation/Airports
A detail or two on Dr Polonsky’s report to Transport Canada. And another sliver of information on the department’s second study. durhamradionews.com
Durham regional chair on Pickering airport
Publication Date: July 5, 2016
Tags: Aviation/Airports
Durham Region’s chair, Roger Anderson, delivers his annual plug for a Pickering airport, this time to the Scugog Chamber of Commerce, claiming: “This is a win for us.” durhamregion.com
More in Ontario’s transfer of Rouge Park to RNUP
Publication Date: June 22, 2016
Tags: RNUP
Coverage of Ontario Minister Brad Duguid’s announcement recommending transfer of the provincial Rouge lands to the RNUP, plus reference to our AGM and the announcement of our upcoming campaign calling for the transfer of the remaining Federal Lands to the RNUP.durhamregion.com
Coalition to call for rest of Federal Lands to RNUP
Publication Date: June 21, 2016
Tags: RNUP
Article about the coalition we announced at our AGM that will be calling for the remaining Federal Lands to be added to the Rouge National Urban Park. Also mentions Transport Canada’s first public acknowledgement of their launch of “Pickering Lands Aviation Sector Analysis” study. InsideToronto.com
Ontario will transfer Rouge Park to RNUP
Publication Date: June 18, 2016
Tags: Food/Water/Agriculture, RNUP
Ontario’s Minister of Economic Development and Growth, Brad Duguid, announces that he will recommend that Ontario transfer its Rouge property to Parks Canada to become part of the Rouge National Urban Park. Another piece of good news: the farmers in the northern section, originally part of the “airport site,” will have 30-year leases with Parks Canada.CTV News
New airport will be good for environment
Publication Date: April 4, 2016
Tags: Aviation/Airports
(letter to the editor) A pilot who wants to see a Buttonville replacement on the Federal Lands thinks that building Pickering airport (“Pickering Airpark”) will help save our planet.durhamregion.com
Mayor’s airport vision vs Council’s environmental one
Publication Date: March 31, 2016
Tags: Aviation/Airports, Environment
Pickering’s mayor constantly promotes a Pickering airport, yet Pickering Council commits to protecting the air, water, and land, and to protecting and promoting people’s right to a healthy environment. Good for Council, we say. Pickering News Advertiser
Durham regional chair criticised on airport stance
Publication Date: March 15, 2016
Tags: Aviation/Airports
(letter to the editor) Writer says our regional chair needs to do his homework on Pickering airport.durhamregion.com
Where does Pickering’s mayor get his airport numbers?
Publication Date: March 13, 2016
Tags: Aviation/Airports
(letter to the editor) Writer challenges Pickering’s mayor to reveal the sources of the numbers he quotes when touting the advantages of a Pickering airport. durhamregion.com
Polonsky Report on future of Federal Lands: tiny clues
Publication Date: March 13, 2016
Tags: Aviation/Airports
Dr Gary Polonsky offers insights into his Independent Advisor report to the Transport Minister.Pickering News Advertiser, durhamregion.com
Durham regional chair quotes different airport date
Publication Date: March 12, 2016
Tags: Aviation/Airports
Three days after the February Ajax-Pickering Board of Trade meeting, Durham’s regional chair, who attended that breakfast, tells a Clarington audience that Pearson will reach capacity in 2038, whereas the GTAA consultant had said that Pearson’s current 5-runway configuration will reach capacity in 2032. So which is it, Mr Anderson?! Clarington This Week
Our petition gets read in House of Commons
Publication Date: March 1, 2016
Tags: Aviation/Airports
Initial reading of our “new” petition by the new government in the House of Commons.Parliament of Canada, Hansard
More on “All About Airports” breakfast
Publication Date: February 29, 2016
Tags: Aviation/Airports
More coverage of the recent Ajax-Pickering Board of Trade “All About Airports” meeting. Pickering News Advertiser
GTAA updates APBOT on southern Ontario aviation needs
Publication Date: February 19, 2016
Tags: Aviation/Airports
The October 2015 GTAA consultants’ white paper never discusses Pickering airport; the only mention is reference to “Pickering site” on a map. At this breakfast it’s another story, perhaps obliged, while in Pickering, to include a couple of “Pickering airport” slides in their presentation. Mayor Ryan, unconcerned by contradictions, says he favours an airport in Pickering, as Pearson will reach its capacity of 65 million annual passengers in 2032. Really? Ajax News Advertiser
LOL’s youth wing write to the PM
Publication Date: February 9, 2016
Tags: Aviation/Airports
Local coverage of the letter from LOL’s youth wing to the Youth Minister – Prime Minister Trudeau.Pickering News Advertiser