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economist suntribune news saturday sept 28 2002 31 passengers could pay for new airport in pickeringe markham bymikeadler staff writer improvement fees charged to passengers could be used to build a major airport at pickering according to a preliminary busi ness model released last week a 10ahead charge similar to one the greater toronto airports authority started levying at torontos lester b pearson international last june can cover 288 to 475 per cent of a pickering airports capital costs which could amount to 21 billion says the report presented to the gtaa and an advisory group of politi cians and residents it predicts an airport on the federal governments vast hold ings in north pickering and east markham could serve as many as 97 million passengers by 2032 three scenarios were present ed in which a pickering airport opens as markhams buttonville airport closes in 2012 and grows from a general aviation airfield to one with commercial air traffic and three runways the gtaa financing a 44billion expan sion of pearson is not saying which scenario they find most likely or desirable this was solely done as a financial forecasting exercise spokesperson peter gregg said this week adding the gtaa over the next eight to 12 months will plan a proposed airports loca tion layout and potential impacts before starting an envi ronmental assessment which will take years to complete but mr gregg suggested last weeks findings show an airport is probably needed and probably wayne emmerson mayor of whitchurchstouffville is on adviso ry committee for planned airport does make economic sense opponents of the airport dis agreed arguing the business case is inadequate federal transport minister david collenette has promised an airport would not be built if its not profitable and this obviously is not profitable charged stephen frederick president of voters organized to cancel the airport lands or vocal mr frederick also accused the gtaa of exaggerating future demand for air travel forecasts for the three scenar ios assume air travel in the greater toronto area will grow 36 per cent a year cumulatively between 2001 a year which saw traffic decrease at pearson and 2015 before it falls to 25 or less its blatant statistical manipu lation mr frederick said they frontendloaded the growth in the earlyyears to substantiate the need for an airport mr gregg however said the forecasts are based on rigorous statistical analysis he added a pickering airport would have to pay for its operations but even tually not immediately its not like were going by a dictated date when it has to pay for itself he acknowledged the busi ness plan does not include any mention the gtaa would pay transport canada rent for using the land whitchurchstouffville mayor wayne emmerson an advisory group member wasnt worried about the forecasts they took a conservative approach and i dont think theyre too far off he said transport canada officials are coming to discuss the airport at 2 pm tuesday at whitchurch- stouffvilles council chambers the gtaa will host open houses from 4 to 8 pm on oct 30 at cedar grove community centre in markham and on nov 7 at latcham hall in stoufmue in the 1970s the federal gov ernment expropriated 18500 acres in markham pickering and uxbridge for what it believed would be torontos second inter national airport a plan shelved in 1975 this airport was uneconomi cal in the 1970s its uneconomical today and it wont fly 10 years from now said jim robb a spokesperson for the rouge duffins greenspace coalition seeking to stop development on the federal lands and on most of the provinciallyowned areas to the south some of the 500 attending a rally in pickering last weekend heard ontario finance minister janet ecker express support for the coalitions goal of linking the lake to the moraine through both the provincial and federal areas collectively know to some as torontos green door i want to work with you to see if we can make that hap pen she said ontarios tory government is prepar ing to hand some of the lands called seaton to developers and in recent years has sold thousands of acres in markham and pickering around 5000 acres in pickering were sold with easements blocking development but this year pickering decided to study development in the area once part of an agricultural preserve that included 2500 stillunsold acres in markham mr robb and other preservationists who have reviewed land records for pickering say they believe most of the preserve lands sold there are in the hands of developers ms ecker said her position is that the protective easements in pickering must stay the rouge duffins group wants the unsold parcels on the markham side added to rouge park rsss i4ome helping busy people enjoy an absolutely dean home serving mfltklmr steuffvillea surrounding areas since 1996 9056424220 buttonville fairways major mac mccowan driving range now open all grass tees for information call 9054724235 i c to 3 0 o 0 e m a cc co 0 s major mackenzie dr hwy7 yummid mnm mmmmm mw markham stouffville hospital foundation thursday november 21 2002 830 pm markham theatre 171 town centre blvd markham theatre for i e r v 0 r m i n g a r t s three acts of amazing entertainment apcatered receptipit and an opportunity to support markham stoirffville hospital foundation and markham theatre j si jjjjoojjj y hijjjjojjjbu m jshittc multicourse dinner wine hilton suitestorontomarkham 530 pm followed by show reception 175 yjjdjjjolfsss corporate tables are available for which includes 10 dinnershow tickets x priority seating and i recognition in the event program for information please call lesley dominico at 905 9468072 or kathy little at 905 4727395 msssbibaasgiflfc to order tickets call markham theatre at 90s 305show7g9 sw gob g3cdg3b oci ec6n6iviistsun igsgagy