9 March 2012
Toronto, Ontario
Prime Minister Stephen Harper today participated in a ceremony launching the construction of a pedestrian tunnel between the Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport and downtown Toronto. Minister of Finance Jim Flaherty, Toronto Mayor Rob Ford, and Toronto Port Authority Chairman Mark McQueen also participated in the ceremony.
“Our Government is committed to building strong, prosperous communities that are engines of economic growth,” said Prime Minister Harper. “The construction of the pedestrian tunnel will create jobs in the Greater Toronto Area and help manage passenger flows to and from the airport.”
The Government of Canada recently approved regulatory amendments that were necessary for the pedestrian tunnel project to move ahead. Consultations and a public opinion survey found that stakeholders and Torontonians strongly support the construction of the tunnel.
The underground and underwater pedestrian tunnel will provide reliable, round-the-clock, all-weather access between the airport and downtown Toronto (foot of Bathurst Street at Eireann Quay) for the more than one and a half million passengers who use the facility every year.
The tunnel, which will complement the current ferry service to and from Toronto Island, is expected to take just over two years to complete. It is being built by a private sector consortium, Forum Infrastructure Partners, and will be largely funded through the Airport Improvement Fee.
The tunnel is one of many initiatives the Government of Canada is involved in to help people move more efficiently around Toronto. Other initiatives include providing support to expand Toronto’s GO Transit and to enhance the Toronto Transit Commission, and providing tax breaks to commuters.
