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Government Moves to Take City Airport Lands

Full Title:
Bill 110, Building Billy Bishop Airport Act, 2026

Summary#

  • This bill lets the Ontario government take over City of Toronto land and assets at Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport. The province would also take the City’s place in the airport’s main governing deal, called the Tripartite Agreement (from 1983).

  • The City would be paid market value for any land and buildings that move to the province. Disputes over payment would go to binding arbitration.

  • Key changes:

    • The Minister of Transportation can name (prescribe) specific City‑owned airport lands so they become owned and controlled by Ontario.
    • All City‑owned buildings, fixtures, and improvements on those lands would also move to Ontario at the same time.
    • The City is barred from selling, mortgaging, or otherwise dealing with these lands and assets; any such deals are void. This also covers deals made after First Reading and before Royal Assent.
    • Ontario replaces the City of Toronto as a party to the 1983 Tripartite Agreement with the federal government and the Toronto Port Authority (PortsToronto) on a set date.
    • The City must share information the Minister asks for about the lands.
    • The province must compensate the City at market value using appraisals set by rules in regulation; disagreements go to arbitration.
    • The bill gives broad legal protection to the province’s actions under it and says these actions are not an expropriation (government taking property) at law.
    • The Minister and Cabinet can make regulations, including ones that apply to earlier periods.

What it means for you#

  • Residents near the airport and on the waterfront

    • No immediate change to flight rules, curfews, or noise limits is set in this bill. Those rules are in the Tripartite Agreement and federal laws. The province would take the City’s seat in that agreement.
    • If you raise concerns or seek changes about airport operations, you would deal with the provincial government rather than the City.

  • Air travelers

    • No instant change to flights, destinations, or airlines from this bill alone.
    • The government’s stated goal is to “modernize” the airport and offer more travel choice, but any future changes would still need to follow the Tripartite Agreement and federal rules.

  • City of Toronto (government and taxpayers)

    • The City would lose ownership and control of the listed airport lands and any City‑owned buildings or fixtures on them, once designated by the Minister.
    • The City cannot sell, mortgage, or otherwise deal with the listed lands and assets; any such action is void, including actions taken after First Reading.
    • The City would receive compensation based on market value, as determined by appraisal reports under provincial rules. If there’s a dispute, it goes to binding arbitration.
    • The City could receive land from the province instead of part of the cash compensation.
    • The City stops being a party to the Tripartite Agreement; Ontario steps in. This shifts negotiations and responsibilities from the City to the province.

  • Airport operators, airlines, and tenants

    • Your City dealings over the listed lands and the Tripartite Agreement would shift to the province.
    • Existing operations are not directly changed by the bill, but approvals and oversight may come from Ontario instead of the City.

  • Community groups and litigants

    • The bill limits lawsuits and other claims against the province related to actions under the Act. Judicial review and constitutional challenges remain possible, but other remedies are largely blocked.

Expenses#

Estimated fiscal impact: No publicly available information.

  • The province must compensate the City at market value for City‑owned land and assets that transfer.
  • Appraisal, arbitration, and administration costs would be borne by the province.
  • The City’s compensation can be reduced by certain recoverable costs set in regulation.
  • The province may offer Crown land as part of compensation instead of cash.

Proponents' View#

  • Moving ownership to the province will speed up decisions and “modernize” the airport to support jobs, tourism, and economic growth.
  • Replacing the City with Ontario in the Tripartite Agreement will simplify governance and reduce local gridlock.
  • Travelers could see more choice and convenience over time, if improvements follow.
  • The City is paid market value, with a clear appraisal process and binding arbitration to resolve disputes.
  • Strong legal protections will cut delays and legal uncertainty, helping projects move ahead.

Opponents' View#

  • This overrides municipal control: the City loses ownership of key assets and its seat in the Tripartite Agreement.
  • Compensation rules are set by the province; critics worry this could undervalue City assets or shift costs onto Toronto taxpayers.
  • Broad legal immunity and retroactive voiding of City actions reduce accountability and limit court challenges.
  • Residents fear the change could pave the way for more flights, noise, and traffic, even if this bill itself does not change operating rules.
  • The financial impact is unknown; provincial taxpayers may face costs without a clear public business case.