Canada Rejects Ontario Plan to Expand Billy Bishop Airport

The Canadian federal government rejected a proposal by the Ontario government to expand Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport, halting plans to lengthen the runway to accommodate jet aircraft. Transport Minister Steven MacKinnon announced the decision on July 25, 2026, following a public consultation that received over 87,000 responses, 87% of which opposed the project. MacKinnon stated that the government will not pursue plans that increase noise, cause significant environmental impacts, or infringe upon public spaces such as Little Norway Park and Hanlan’s Point Beach.

Ontario Premier Doug Ford had previously passed legislation to seize city-owned waterfront lands and assume the city's role in the airport's tripartite agreement to facilitate the expansion. The province argued the project would increase annual passenger traffic from two million to 10 million and contribute $8.5 billion annually to the economy. While Ontario Transport Minister Prabmeet Sarkaria characterized the federal rejection as a delay and maintained the province's commitment to the project, the federal government is now focusing exclusively on approved safety-related runway upgrades.

Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow supported the federal decision and called on the Ontario government to return the seized city lands. This rejection mirrors a similar 2015 decision by the Justin Trudeau administration to cancel an airport expansion, which contributed to Bombardier selling its C Series jet program to Airbus. Prime Minister Mark Carney had privately encouraged the project, but the federal administration has now shifted its focus toward safety enhancements.