No. H095/05
For release - May 3, 2005
OTTAWA — Transport Minister Jean-C. Lapierre today announced that a settlement agreement has been reached with the Toronto Port Authority to resolve outstanding legal issues that arose following the decision to prohibit construction of a fixed link to the Toronto City Centre Airport.
"I am very pleased that we have achieved a settlement that will allow us to bring this matter to a conclusion," said Mr. Lapierre. "With this agreement, the Government of Canada has delivered on its commitment to respect the wishes of Torontonians on this important issue."
Specifically, the settlement reached between the Government of Canada and the Toronto Port Authority provides for compensation to address the financial implications of not proceeding with the construction of the fixed link to the Toronto City Centre Airport. The settlement includes payment of $35 million by the Government of Canada to the Toronto Port Authority and stipulates that the authority will grant a full and final release to the Government of Canada and obtain similar releases from the affected third parties for the Government of Canada.
"I would like to thank all those involved in negotiating the settlement, in particular, Tony Ianno, Member of Parliament for Trinity-Spadina and Minister of State, Families and Caregivers, for their hard work in resolving the issues surrounding these important elements of Toronto's transportation infrastructure," said Mr. Lapierre. "I would also like to commend the Toronto Port Authority for reaching this settlement. We have worked through some difficult issues to achieve this positive outcome."
In addition to the settlement, the Governor-in-Council enacted, on May 2, 2005, final regulations that will prohibit the building of a fixed link between mainland Toronto and the Toronto Islands. These final regulations will be published in the Canada Gazette Part II on May 18, 2005. The regulations were originally published in the Canada Gazette Part I in June 2004. This was followed by a 30-day public comment period during which hundreds of comments from stakeholders and concerned citizens were received and reviewed by the department.
"The regulations are consistent with the Government of Canada's goal of responding to local interests on the issues of access to the Toronto City Centre Airport," said Joe Volpe, Minister of Citizenship and Immigration and Minister responsible for Ontario and Toronto. "The proposed settlement and regulations respond directly to the views and interests of the people of Toronto, as represented by the Toronto City Council's decision in December 2003 to withdraw its support for the construction of a fixed link."
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Contacts:
Irène MarcheterreDirector of CommunicationsOffice of the Minister, Ottawa(613) 991-0700
Cathy CossaboomCommunicationsTransport Canada, Ottawa(613) 993-0055
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