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www.insidehalton.com |OAKVILLE BEAVER | Friday, July 21, 2017 |1 6 Pearson seeks O akville in p u t as it p rep ares to g lo w by Marta Marychuk Oakville Beaver Staff oronto Pearson Airport is looking for input from Oakville, as the number of passengers travelling through its doors is expected to double over the next 20 years. Last year, more than 44 million passengers used the airport, said Eileen Waechter, Director of Corporate Relations and Strategic Partnerships for the Greater Toronto Airports Authority (GTAA), the non profit organization responsible for operating Toronto Pearson Airport. By 2037, Waechter said the number of passengers expected to travel through the airport is expected to double to 80 million a year. The GTAA is launching a series of initiatives this summer to talk about airport growth and the impact of its operations, to ensure its 20year growth plan addresses the concerns and priorities of T | Metroland Media file photo residents. Approximately a dozen people came out to an Oakville workshop -- held July 6 at the Harbour Banquet and Conference Centre. The workshop was the fourth in a series of five public sessions being held in the Greater Toronto Area to discuss: transit options for the region; managing and mitigating aircraft noise; environmental protection; and, the best ways to inform residents on airport operations. Toronto Pearson is the second busiest airport in North America for international passengers and is poised to become even larger - with plans to become a mega hub airport. Today, the airport employs 332,000 people and responsible for 6.3 per cent of Ontario' s Gross Domestic Product (GDP), said Waechter. By 2035, the airport will employ up to 700,000 people and produce 8.5 per cent of GDP "We don' t exist for ourselves," said Waechter. "We are an economic engine." Waechter assured the group the GTAA does not foresee adding any additional runways at Pearson, although additional equipment will be required for de-icing the aircrafts. Two years ago, the GTAA started another conversation with other airports to launch the Southern Ontario Airport Network (SOAN) to plan for anticipated growth in a responsible way Workshop facilitator Peter MacLeod explained the airport is required to provide a growth plan, every 10 years, and the "conversation" the GTAA is having now with the public is working to shape the growth plan. MacLeod said they have heard that people appreciate the airport and the benefits created by employment. Building better public transit is a priority and there are concerns around sharing noise. And, he added, people want better communication with the airport. "We have heard that people don' t want noise," said MacLeod. "We want to make sure we are not annoying more people." In addition to the workshops, Lacebook and Twitter, the GTAA is looking for public input through a Survey on Noise Laimess and Airport Growth and a new Residents' Reference Panel. "This is a conversation that should never end," added Waechter. "We want to learn more about how we can have a better conversation. Our vision is to be the best airport in the world." Information from the public workshops will be posted on the GTAAs website, said MacLeod, and there will be a summary of the information, along with themes from the conversation. For information, visit: goo.gl/4rqvfv. R e g io n a l a irp o rt n e tw o rk s fo rm in s o u th e rn O n ta rio by Marta Marychuk Oakville Beaver Staff With air travel demand forecasted to outpace the current capacity of regional airports, a group of Ontario airports hs launched the Southern Ontario Airport Network (SOAN). The new airport network was announced May 9, at the Lake Simcoe Regional Airport by Howard Eng., Chief Executive Officer of the Greater Toronto Airports Authority (GTAA). Air travel in southern Ontario is expected to reach approximately 110 million passengers by the early 2040s, according to SOAN. Currently, Toronto Pearson is the second largest airport in North America, in terms of inbound international traffic, according to the GTAA. Last year, 44 million passengers travelled through the airport and 500,000 tonnes of cargo was transported across the world. Members of SOAN include: Toronto Pearson International Airport, Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport, John C. Munro Hamilton International Airport, Lake Simcoe Regional Airport, London International Airport, Oshawa Executive Airport, Niagara District Airport, Peterborough Airport, Region of Waterloo Airport, and Windsor International Airport. Transport Canada, the department within the government of Canada responsible for developing regulations, policies and services of transportation in Canada, and Ontario' s Ministry of Transportation are also contributors to SOAN' s work. The new network is drawing support from local members of parliament, who approve of the investment in transportation infrastructure. In an interview from Ottawa, Oakville North Burlington MP Pam Damoff said SOAN would be a good thing for southern Ontario. She said the new network would integrate transportation in this area and help to reduce traffic congestion - especially for people who are employed at the airport. Although there is no reason to believe that the new network will increase airport noise in the Oakville Burlington area, Damoff said: "We still need to deal with the noise issue." Damoff said she has a lot of confidence in Helios, the consultant hired to conduct an independent review of airspace for flights arriving and departing Toronto Pearson Airport. Helios was hired by NAV CANADA (a privately run, non-profit corporation that owns and operates Canada' s civil air navigation system) in 2016, in response to complaints from Oakville residents of air traffic noise. Damoff said she has brought forward concerns raised by residents during a community consultation Helios held in Oakville earlier this year, to Federal Transportation Minister Marc Garneau, to ensure these concerns are addressed. Oakville MP John Oliver said the government recognizes that a strong, integrated and modern transportation system is fundamental to Canada' s continuing economic performance and competitiveness, in a statement to the Oakville Beaver. He also believes the investment in ground transportation will help reduce traffic congestion and greenhouse gas emissions -- and align with the government' s commitment to sustainable economic growth. However, Oakville Mayor Rob Burton had some concerns about the new airport network. "It is unclear what impact this announcement will have on noise pollution caused by air traffic over parts of our community, if any," said Burton, in a statement. "Council is supportive of any changes that improve service for our residents while minimizing air noise within surrounding communities." "The heart of the air noise issue remains the Standard Terminal Arrival Route (STAR), w hich is set by the federal aerospace regulator Nav Canada. The changes recommended to Pearson' s STAR recommended by citizens' groups like RANGO are the surest way to minimize the noise impact on surrounding communities." Among the short, medium and long-term goals of SOAN: · completing an economic analysis of the impact SOAN will have for the region and the province; ·understanding the ground transportation needs in southern Ontario and advocating for investment in ground transportation improvements that will reduce congestion and greenhouse gas emissions; · developing best-in-class strategies for responsible and sustainable airport growth including community engagement and noise management. In conjunction with the launch event, SOAN released a statement of intent that emphasizes planning for growth in a responsible way is essential; without it, the region could potentially leave $15 million in GDP on the table and force more than 20 million passengers to look elsewhere for air travel needs. The members of SOAN say they recognize that the region has the potential to meet the growing demand for air travel. Through responsible planning, SOAN says it will ensure the region is well placed to keep the jobs and economic benefits of air service demand in southern Ontario. The full statement of intent is available online at www. soairportnetwork.com.