Work Begins on Island Airport Link

Nov. 11, 2003. 05:24 PM

Work Begins on Island Airport Link
Fencing off of site begins; new mayor promises to end construction

Toronto Star, Canada

The Toronto Port Authority appears to have made good on its aim to begin
work at the site of the controversial airport link despite a protest early
this morning and despite mayor-elect David Miller's vow that the bridge
won't be built.

At about 6 this morning, approximately 75 placard-carrying activists
gathered at Bathurst St. and Queen's Quay W. to protest what they expected
would be the start of building, though there were no signs of construction
at the time.

But at mid-morning, a couple hours after protesters had dissipated,
construction workers began assembling a thick wire fence around the lot.

"The fence is practically around the parking lot now," said John Bessai, a
nearby resident and activist with Community Air, which has opposed the
link.

"It's basically now an enclosed site," Bessai said.

"A parking booth had been removed on Sunday and there was a letter posted
to customers stating that the parking lot was closed due to the
construction start," Bessai said. "We were worried that construction would
start regardless how people voted."

It was a bit confusing, he said, because it is Remembrance Day and people
weren't sure whether any construction workers would be at work on this
day.

The Toronto Port Authority has said that clearance has been received to
start construction, but Miller said in his victory speech last night that
final permission has not been granted, further muddling the situation.

In a televised interview this afternoon, Miller told the CBC that the
agreement was amended 10 days ago to allow the link to be built. However,
he added, he will ask city council to go back to the federal government
and ask that the old agreement be reinstated.

"I'm confident we will be able to stop it," Miller said. "The people of
Toronto spoke very clearly and I have a mandate," adding that "the whole
issue has twists and turns."

Bessai, who attended the rally this morning, said the group broke up about
9 a.m. but would be back at 4 p.m. to demonstrate again.

"The Port Authority has given the impression that this is a done deal,"
Bessai said. "We're still not sure what they're going to do. We have every
reason to be concerned."

About 75 protesters returned to the bridge site at 4 p.m., walking in a
circle in the street and blocking the light traffic in the area. But cars
were only stopped for a few seconds as the protesters moved aside to let
them through.
A handful of police officers were on the scene but there were no
confrontations.

"This is a symbolic picket here," said Community Air spokesman Bill
Freeman. "We just want to let people know this issue is not going to go
away. We're just slowing the cars down and we're going to be monitoring
what they're doing here."

Freeman said the group has a core of about 50 active members and 800
supporters on its mailing list, and has spent $20,000 so far on legal
challenges to stop the bridge.

Community Air has asked for a judicial review of the environmental
assessment for the bridge that was carried out by the Toronto Port
Authority, noted Freeman.

Bessai said he believes that the Canadian Coast Guard is concerned over
the safety of the waterways if the bridge is built to link the mainland
with the island airport. He also believes they have yet to sign off on the
deal.

A spokesperson for the Canadian Coast Guard was unavailable for comment to
confirm this.

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