Toronto island airport expansion killed by ‘fringe group’: Ontario minister

TORONTO — Ontario Transportation Minister Prabmeet Sarkaria vows to forge ahead on expanding Toronto’s island airport despite the federal government’s rejection of the plan.

Sarkaria says the province was disappointed by the federal government’s decision to nix Premier Doug Ford’s proposed expansion of the Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport to allow jets to land and take off from it.

Sarkaria says the federal government gave in to a “fringe group” who objected to the project.

Federal Transportation Minister Steven MacKinnon rejected the plan last week after 87 per cent of the 87,000 respondents to a public consultation opposed the idea.

That prompted Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow to demand that the Ontario government repeal a bill that allowed the province to expropriate land from the city through new legislation as it pushed for the expansion

Sarkaria says the province will not repeal that bill.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 28, 2026.