Hub poised for take-off

NRU
June 27, 2018
Rob Jowett

With the significant growth in air traffic and capacity challenges at Toronto Pearson International Airport, Barrie hopes to expand the Lake Simcoe Regional Airport and turn it into a regional hub.

“It was very clear that this is what’s happening in our region with air traffic,” says Barrie mayor Jeff Lehman. “Pearson is going to have to specialize on the biggest of the big, just because of the volume and the numbers. And as a consequence all the rest of the aviation industry over time is going to need to start to operate from other airports around the network.”

The strategic plan prepared by airport staff and WSP sets out a proposed $66.85-million expansion, which would include extending the 1,829 m runway to 2,134 m in length and widening it by 15 m, as well as expanding the terminal building and adding new servicing infrastructure.

Barrie council adopted the strategic plan June 18 and directed staff to study the proposal. Staff anticipates preparing a report for consideration in the fall. While the airport is located in Oro-Medonte, 60 per cent of it is owned by Barrie. The remaining 40 per cent is owned by the township and Simcoe County.

Lake Simcoe Regional Airport general manager Mike Drumm told NRU that the expansion is a huge opportunity for Barrie and the surrounding area, but that they have to act now.

“Like a majority of infrastructure, we can’t wait for the demand to be kicking down the door, then take three years to put the infrastructure in place. We have to be proactive and make sure that we’re growing as the service demands it.”

Already an international point of entry, Lehman says the regional airport’s location between Toronto and Muskoka makes it attractive for corporate air travel.
“It’s also just outside of the really busy controlled airspace, which starts around Barrie,” he says. “So it’s very convenient to get in and out of.”

The Lake Simcoe Regional Airport is part of the Southern Ontario Airport Network, a group of 11 airports that are working together to create an integrated air travel system. It was formed to take some of the pressure off Toronto Pearson International Airport.
Pearson is expected to exceed 50-million passengers this year, a number which is projected to grow by about 6 per cent per year. At that rate, it could service as many as 80-million people annually within the decade. To reduce its traffic, Pearson is moving toward servicing only large commercial flights, and is seeking to redirect smaller planes to other airports in the network.

Lehman says he thinks travellers would prefer the convenience of the Lake Simcoe Regional Airport to having to deal with the massive crowds at Pearson.

“Smaller airports are able to offer a much better level of service,” he says.

The expansion will also create new economic development opportunities in the area.
“Airports are drivers of local economies,” says Drumm. “The more activity you create, the City of Mississauga staff, together with Toronto-based urban beekeeping company Alvéole, has installed a honey bee hive on the 4th floor of city hall in an effort to support urban agriculture and plant pollination, and facilitate public education.

The honey bee hive, installed in early June, is home to 5,000 bees. This is expected to increase to 50,000 bees by November, when the hive will be wrapped for winter and remain on the roof until it is opened again in April 2019. As the honey bee population increases, more hive boxes will be added to accommodate growth.

The honey bee hive will produce 15 kg of honey or 100 jars of 140 g each. The honey bees will also help pollinate the immediate urban area of Mississauga within a 5-km radius.