Carney has not formed opinion on Ford’s island airport expansion vision in Toronto

TORONTO – Prime Minister Mark Carney said Thursday he has not formed an opinion on Ontario Premier Doug Ford’s plan to expand Toronto’s island airport, but promised broad consultations would start soon on the proposal.

Ford wants to expand Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport to allow jets to land and take off, an idea he said the federal government has endorsed.

But Carney said Thursday there’s still work to be done before he can come to a conclusion.

“There’s many, many issues, there’s issues of transportation, there’s issues of economics, but there’s issues of neighbourhoods, quality of life, environmental concerns or issues, parks and other elements,” he said.

Carney said the government will gather that information and then decide.

“I, personally, have not formed an opinion, just to be absolutely clear, on the airport, in part because those full processes have not been done,” Carney said.

Transportation Minister Steven MacKinnon has been noncommital publicly, as have several other Toronto Liberal MPs.

Ford’s Progressive Conservative government recently passed legislation to take over the City of Toronto’s spot in a tripartite agreement that governs the island airport. That agreement is now between the province, the federal government and the Toronto Port Authority, which is a federal agency.

The airport’s passenger terminal is owned by Nieuport Aviation, which is controlled by J.P. Morgan Asset Management, a U.S.-based firm.

Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow has called the move nothing but a land grab without consultation.

She expressed her frustration again at an unrelated news conference with Ford on Thursday morning.

“I still have not seen a clear plan or any plan from the Toronto Port Authority as to what is it that they are trying to do,” she said.

But she said she knows one thing.

“We should not give land that would benefit American investors and Wall Street investors,” Chow said.

Ford acknowledge the pair’s differences.

“We’re gonna differ, the mayor and I, but I respect what she believes and I believe that there’s going to be thousands of jobs created over this expansion, and it’s going to make the runway a lot safer,” Ford said.

Meanwhile, the premier worked to alleviate fears of any other changes to the islands.

As part of that same legislation, the province gave itself the power to take over all the land on the islands where the airport is located.

There are 262 homes on one island, Centreville Amusement Park on another island along with a marina, parks, paths and beaches.

But the province has said it will work with the city to only use land needed to expand the airport despite the language in the legislation. 

Ford was asked if he had any other plans for the island besides the airport.

“No, I love the island,” he said. “I think you just leave it alone the way it is. It’s beautiful.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 4, 2026.