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What’s Going on With the Pickering Airport Lands? Will the Federal Government Leave a Legacy on Toronto’s Doorstep?

Your letter will be sent to your Member of Parliament, The Honourable Steven MacKinnon Minister of Transport and Leader of the Government in the House of Commons, Mike Kelloway, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Transport and Internal TradeThe Honourable Julie Aviva Dabrusin Minister of  Environment, Climate Change and Nature, Wade Grant, Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Environment and Climate Change , Prime Minister Mark Carney and Juanita Nathan, MP for Pickering-Brooklin. 

The Pickering Airport Lands have been held in public trust for more than 50 years. In 1972, the federal Government acquired this 75 km2 (18,600 acres) parcel of land to develop a new international airport for Toronto. Amid backlash from citizens, the government put this plan on hold in 1975 and focused its efforts on expanding Toronto Pearson International Airport and leasing the Pickering properties to residents and farmers.

In January 2025, the Federal government announced the cancellation of the airport and a future transfer of the “high conservation value” lands to Parks Canada. Transport Canada is currently working with Parks Canada and other federal agencies to assess options for the future uses of the lands. 

The Federal government has promised to transfer all  “high conservation value” areas to the National Urban Park. Environmental Defence has undertaken work to identify and map these areas and has concluded that all of the Pickering lands are of high conservation value and should be added to the Park. Some developers and their friends in the provincial government are pushing to have these valuable lands bulldozed for warehouses and housing. This would be a horrible loss to the people of Canada, especially since these lands are not needed for housing and would result in higher taxes for the people of Pickering forced to pay for roads, sewers, and services to be built to this remote area. Transferring these lands to Rouge National Urban Park represents an opportunity to create a legacy on Toronto’s doorstep. 

The future of these lands is up for debate right now. Send a letter to your MP today asking them to ensure that the entirety of these lands are transferred  to the Rouge National Park.

TAKE ACTION
 

The Honourable
Julie
Dabrusin
Minister of Environment and Climate Change
Parliamentary Secretary
Wade
Grant
Member of Parliament
Member of Parliament
Juanita
Nathan
House of Commons
Member of Parliament
Steven
MacKinnon
Member of Parliament
Minister
Mike
Kelloway
House of Commons

Environmental Defence is a leading Canadian environmental advocacy organisation that works with government, industry and individuals to defend clean water, a safe climate and healthy communities.

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