$2M of your user fees for new YKZ tower

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News Release: NAV CANADA Unveils Plans to Build New Control Tower at Toronto Buttonville Airport

(Ottawa, January 17, 2006) – NAV CANADA, the nationwide provider of air navigation services, today announced plans for the construction of a new air traffic control tower at Toronto Buttonville Municipal Airport.

The new tower, representing an investment of over $2 million, will replace the existing facility which was built in 1967 and is reaching the end of its useful life. Construction is scheduled to begin by the summer of 2006, with the facility scheduled to become operational by June 2007.

The new tower will provide expanded operational space, optimal visibility and the latest in air navigation equipment and technology for 12 air traffic controllers and two support staff who provide service to some 150,000 aircraft movements per year at Buttonville Airport. It will be located on the south side of the airport – the opposite side of the old tower.

The new tower will be designed and built using a modular design enabling the facility to be relocated in the future. New equipment and technology will include the NAV CANADA Auxiliary Radar Display System and the Company’s state-of-the-art voice communications switch. Buttonville Airport is one of the busiest in the country, consistently ranking in the top 11 for air traffic volumes.

NAV CANADA, the country’s provider of civil air navigation services, is a non-share capital corporation with operations coast to coast providing air traffic control, flight information, weather briefings, aeronautical information services, airport advisory services and electronic aids to navigation.

[abc xyz]

Glad some money is being spent on updating the infrastructure in the country. That being said this quote:

The new tower will be designed and built using a modular design enabling the facility to be relocated in the future.

only leads one to believe that Buttonville's future is all but sealed. the land is worth a mint and it doesnt seem nearly as busy now as when i learned back in the mid - late 90's. hope im wrong - seems most view aviation as more of a hinderance in this country rather than a usefull economic tool.

my 2 cents

[oldtimer]

The new tower will be designed and built using a modular design

Modular is the new, politically correct term for a moblie home. Does this mean Nav Canada's controllers will become trailer trash???? (Just kidding)

[Hedley]

the land is worth a mint

No kidding. It's not nice to say, but I don't understand why Buttonville wasn't converted to condos years ago. It must be worth billions of dollars to a developer.

I don't care how much of an aviation enthusiast you are, if someone waves ONE BEELLION DOLLARS in front of your nose, you might discover your price.

Dunno who owns Buttonville - it's privately owned, isn't it? - but my hat is off to them. Just imagine the noise complaints they must get from cranky neighbours, and moronic municipal politicians pulling dumb stunts, all for the benefit of refusing ONE BEELLION DOLLARS

[EI-EIO]

well Layton/Chow are always saying YTZ medical traffic can go to Buttonville - someone should tell them it's going to be condos!

[Jet Dog]

maybe they can put in a "visable" airport light, makes a visual id easier, most time u can't see the current one till short final...

[Rubberbiscuit]

I think the current Airport license is good until 2010 or somewhere around there. I'm guessing it will not be extended.

[HighBypass]

The Sifton Family owns buttonville i belive. They will be very rich when it sells. Buttonville is a nice place and very convienient for GTA residents... i suppose they will be driving to pickering in 10 years or so.

Pickering will be a big airport in the claremont training area, and maybe CYOO will be scrapped as well? well have to see.

CYKZ has a lot of good memories. We will miss it!

[TorontoGuy]

Oshawa and Markham have already been given notice of closing. I'm told the Siftons are fighting same, tooth and nail.

[Jet Dog]

y waste 2 mil on a tower when YKZ existance is in jepordy? Oh wait.. gov't business, so why not waste a bit more then makes perfect sense

[Clodhopper]

With the amount of avgas and jet-A that have been spilled on the ground there in the past 40 or so years, its going to be like Chernobyl. Close the airport, wait 50 years, then build.

Whoever buys that is going to have to get an Environment Canada inspection...

Don't get me wrong, I love the airport, its always busy, a good place to work the ramp, and its convenient to fly into compared to most of the other ones in the GTA.

[cyyz]

Just imagine the noise complaints they must get from cranky neighbours, and moronic municipal politicians pulling dumb stunts, all for the benefit of refusing ONE BEELLION DOLLARS

Any links for the "1 billion offer"?

[oldtimer]

Spilled gas and Jet A can be cleaned up.
All you have to do is sell the land to a developer who will build a nice fancy new house tract on the land and the poor Joe Schmuck new owners can pay to have it cleaned up.
That's the way it works.

[EI-EIO]

clodhopper

amazing what they can do with micro-organisms in fuel cleanups. And if that fails it's not half as bad as Sydney tarponds and they are fixing that.

Bet the local politicos will cream themselves at the thought of all the new development charges... should hold down property tax a while (until someone figures out - again - that you actually do need to build the sewers and roads the development charges pay for. Worse than a ponzi scheme...)

[Clodhopper]

It'll be a sad day when YKZ closes, but I bet that farmer is laughing from wherever he is right now (rest in peace, if the case may be).

To explain, some old-timer used to own a farm off the end of 33, before the city of Toronto expanded into what is now Markham. Hated the noise and used to take pot shots with his country rifle at the planes as they took off.

[tdawe]

YKZ has had more then its fair share of fuel spills, including one in excess of 20,000 Litres. all straight into the grass. 2 years after the fact the ground still couldnt bare any wieght without sinking whatever was driving accross it.

As for the Siftons? They are not fighting the closure of the airport. Other the fact that Sifton Jr will have to get a real job now, they couldt care in the least. Sifton Sr. (rest his soul) built an empire that the missus and the kids can live off of for some time. GTAA gave them 10Mil to keep it open and operational through till 2010. Once that day comes anyone on here who bases a private A/C there would be wise to vacate asap, lest they find a Miegs field situation arrising. The airport is a straight up cash grab for them, once they have to pay into it expect it to be closed just as fast as they can slap a Remax sign on the front lawn.

[Babel Fish]

The Sifton Family owns buttonville i belive. They will be very rich when it sells.

The Siftons are very rich. They are one of the "old money" families in Toronto. Definitely part of the establishment. They will only get richer when they close the airport and re-develope the land.

tdawe has hit the nail on the head with the rest of the story there. Luckily for Jr. he won't need to find another job once he's done at TAL - unless of course someone out there wants their company driven into the ground.