Mayor Olivia Chow accuses federally mandated port authority of hiding early plans for Billy Bishop - Toronto Star

The Toronto Port Authority has repeatedly promised that all of its stakeholders, including the city, will be consulted before a final version of the plan is made public.

Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport is seen from the observation deck of the CN Tower in Toronto.

Mayor Olivia Chow is accusing the Toronto Port Authority of hiding initial plans for a $5-billion Billy Bishop airport expansion from the city, even though the authority says it has shared “preliminary” work with provincial and federal officials.

Last month, the head of the port authority indicated the city would soon see early plans around the expansion, however the Star has learned a pair of meetings with the city have come and gone with no plans shared.

The port authority has also asked city staff and the mayor’s office to sign a nondisclosure agreement over the discussions; Chow said she refused.

Meanwhile, a city spokesperson said the confidentiality agreement that the municipal public service signed “is not specific to any one meeting,” but did not offer details about its scope, including whether it covers future meetings.

“I know there’s a consultant report. Make it public,” Chow told reporters Tuesday morning, alongside Deputy Mayor Ausma Malik, shortly after the Star revealed the meetings took place. “Why are they trying to hide it?” 

She continued: “And what’s in it? Who knows. And who has seen it? It’s not clear.”

Deborah Wilson, TPA’s vice-president of communications and public affairs, said in a statement the meetings “did not delve into the expansion plan itself, as that plan is still being developed.”

The TPA has promised that all of its stakeholders will be consulted before a final version of the plan is made public.

The confidentiality agreement is “a standard business document,” Wilson said, adding that signing it was not mandatory.

The federally mandated TPA is responsible for managing Toronto’s port and owns and operates the island airport.

The Ontario government-championed expansion of the Billy Bishop airport to accommodate jets has become a point of tension between the city and the province. 

The Ford government has said the expansion will create more jobs and make travel easier for tourists and businesspeople. 

At the municipal level, concerns have been raised about the impact of the expansion on the waterfront, housing and traffic.

Nieuport Aviation says it is in compliance with the lobbying rules, following a review.