Ford doubles down on Toronto Billy Bishop expansion plans, calls island residents ‘squatters’

Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport is pictured behind the Toronto skyline as seen from the BMO Offices on Tuesday, Feb. 9, 2016. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Chris Young

Premier Doug Ford says jets are coming to Billy Bishop Airport “one way or another” and labelled Toronto Island residents who may oppose the move as “squatters.”

“Folks. Game’s over....You’re getting a (house for a) dollar a year, but guess what? We aren’t going to worry about the one ‘percenters’ that affect the 99 per cent of the rest of the population,” he said at an unrelated news conference on Monday.

Ford was referring to the unique real estate arrangement on the island that allows residents to own their homes for below-market rates through a trust while paying to lease the land.

According to the Toronto Islands Residential Community Trust Corporation, the average priced home on the island sells for between $150,000 and $400,000. Residents must also pay a one-time lease cost for the land, which is currently set at approximately $60,000 on Ward’s Island and $78,000 on Algonquin Island under existing legislation.

Ford’s comments build on an address he made late last month, in which he said he wants to extend the runway to allow for larger planes to make use of the island airport.

It’s an idea that’s been talked about before, but never taken flight, due in part to a lack of public approval. However, Ford said his government’s own polling shows that 70 per cent of those asked want the airport expanded.

The government’s online poll surveyed 2,514 people and was conducted Nov. 28 to Dec. 2 2025. It was open to voters 18 and older from across Ontario. A sample of a similar size would have a margin of error of plus or minus two percentage points, 19 times out of 20.

The airport’s operator, the Toronto Port Authority, said last week it “fully” supports the premier’s vision for Billy Bishop. The port’s president and CEO Roelof-Jan (RJ) Steenstra said it is developing a plan to modernize the airport to meet rising aviation demand in the province, noting that Ontario’s population is expected to rise from 16.1 million to 20.5 million people by 2051.

But he said none of those ambitions are possible if the site continues to be governed in its current form. Under the Tripartite Agreement, which was signed by the landowners in 1983 and dictates how the island’s airport is operated, the type of aircraft permitted at Billy Bishop is limited.

The land on which the airport sits is owned by the federally-regulated Toronto Port Authority (approximately 78 per cent), Transport Canada (approximately 2 per cent) and the City of Toronto (approximately 20 per cent). The Toronto Port Authority’s board of directors is composed of nine individuals appointed by all levels of government, seven of whom are selected by Ottawa.

Ford said he plans to move forward with the expansion in cooperation with the federal government and said that Mayor Olivia Chow wants to expand it as well, though she may “disagree” with the addition of jets.

In a statement to CTV News Toronto, the Mayor’s office said it had not yet seen a concrete plan for any expansion but that a “vibrant waterfront means balancing all uses.”

“City Council recently voted to extend the lease at Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport to allow for the runway extension needed to complete federally-mandated runway safety improvements. That decision allows the airport to immediately move forward with the required safety work so passengers can fly with confidence.

“City Council also directed staff to work with PortsToronto and Transport Canada to update the Airport Master Plan through a robust public process. The Mayor welcomes the province’s involvement in that process.”

At another unrelated news conference at Billy Bishop on Monday, federal Transport Minister Steven MacKinnon said Ottawa welcomes Ontario’s interest in the airport, but underscored that it needs to be developed responsibly.

“It’s incumbent on all of us, through the lens of this airport being a good neighbour and a good corporate citizen in this city, to look at what the future might hold in terms of its development,” he said.

CTV News Toronto also contacted the Toronto Islands Residential Community Trust Corporation for a reaction to Ford’s comment. It declined to provide a statement.