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EDITORIAL

Sweet home Toronto Islands


October 14, 2002

Ah, the sweet irony. Just as Toronto Island activists were about to renew their tiresome attack on Toronto Island Airport, along comes Ontario Environment Minister Chris Stockwell wanting to evict them and turn their homesteads into a park.

Toronto Islander Allan Sparrow spent most of last year trying to shut down the Toronto City Centre Airport to develop an environmentally friendly theme park.

Just one day before Stockwell dropped his bombshell about an Ontario government review of the , 99-year leases given to island residents by the former NDP government of 1993, activists were regrouping to make the Island airport a major civic issue by comparing it to the killing of the Spadina Expressway.

Needless to say, Stockwell’s announcement has the activist residents running off in another direction--the one guaranteed to save their island homes.

The screams of Islanders, miffed to be called "squatters," could be heard on the mainland and as far away as Buttonville Airport.

"They are, they were, squatters," Stockwell told reporters when asked about the Ontario government’s move to review the infamous 99-year lease.

"Clearly, they moved in knowing full well this was supposed to be a park and then stayed and they got what I would deem to be the sweetest of sweetheart deals any government has ever cut with anybody," said the former Metro councillor.

Stockwell could have added Islanders went on to colonize and grandfather their select society. They build monster homes, resurrect plans for the Flying Toad Co-op, rent out their Island homes in a profitable cottage industry and seem now to be taking over the surrounding water ways with tax-free, polluting, all-season houseboats.

Back in 1993, Bob Rae’s socialist government allowed the 262 homes on Ward’s and Algonquin islands to remain despite the area being officially declared parkland. The NDP government of the day gave the residents 99-year leases at a cost of between $36,000 to $46,000. The sweetheart deal made for one of the most privileged societies in creation. Instead of moving on to enjoy the bucolic lifestyle, Islanders have staged a bitter fight to close down Toronto Island Airport.

"I was very clear, as were my council colleagues in those days, that this is public open space," said Stockwell. "You should not be allowed to live in a park and we should be able to have that public open space--a park--for the public."

The deal will be re-examined as part of a 10-year review called for in the original NDP bill.

Mainland residents foot the bill to cover the costs of providing year-round service to the islands. A review of the leases may provide those investigating the ability to probe whether Island residents should be paying more for ferry services, fire and garbage collection through a renewed lease arrangement.

Premier Ernie Eves has made it clear that reviewing the lease is part of the Conservatives’ responsibility to taxpayers given the 99-year status.

Given that it followed so closely on the heels of the renewed vigour of the Toronto Island Airport fight, we can only wonder if the premier was being 'Eveivellian.'


Canada Free Press founding editor Most recent by Judi McLeod is an award-winning journalist with 30 years experience in the print media. Her work has appeared on Newsmax.com, Drudge Report, Foxnews.com, Glenn Beck. Judi can be reached at: judi@canadafreepress.com


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