Dufferin Grove and Davenport friends and neighbours,
Wishing you and your families a warm and joyful Easter. And to all those beginning Passover this evening, I wish you and your families a meaningful and joyful Pesach.
I hope this long weekend brings you rest, connection, and time with the people you love.
Many of you have written with concerns — especially around Billy Bishop — and I want to address them directly. I appreciate everyone who has shared their thoughts and questions. Thank you for writing.
Billy Bishop — Where Things Stand
As you know, the Premier of Ontario recently announced the province’s intention to introduce legislation to take over the City of Toronto’s role in the Billy Bishop Tripartite Agreement and take ownership of city-owned lands at the airport. I want to take a moment to clarify what this means — and, just as importantly, what it does not.
No matter what the province announces, it cannot act alone on Billy Bishop. The Tripartite Agreement — a binding contract signed in 1983 between the City of Toronto, the Toronto Port Authority, and Transport Canada — requires unanimous consent from all three parties for any major change to airport operations. The province currently is not a signatory.
Should the province succeed in expropriating the City’s land interest through legislation, it cannot unilaterally renegotiate the Tripartite agreement. Any renegotiation must involve all three parties and secure federal approval. This is a process that will take time to unfold and will not be “a flip of a switch”.
There is a commitment from Transport Canada that any future decisions about aircraft types and airport operations will require the consensus of all signatories, and meaningful consultation with affected communities, stakeholders, and Indigenous peoples must take place before anything changes.
On the runway extension to meet international safety standards: our entire federal team supports the federally mandated runway safety upgrade. This is about meeting Transport Canada safety requirements so the airport can continue to operate safely for the passengers and planes already using it. This change does not open the door to larger planes.
The Importance of Process
Many of you have drawn parallels to the Ontario Place process, and I understand the trepidation. The Provincial Auditor General’s report raised serious concerns about transparency, fairness, and public cost in that project. Those concerns are legitimate, and I share your frustration when process is sidelined.
But here is the critical difference: Billy Bishop is governed by a tri-party agreement and by federal aviation law. The Tripartite Agreement ensures that no single party can act unilaterally.
More Than Business & Tourism — Our Shared Investment in the Waterfront
Some of you have expressed concern that the conversation around the waterfront has become too narrowly focused on business and tourism, with too little regard for the environment, nature, and the everyday enjoyment of the lake.
I want to assure you that is not the case. The investments that all three levels of government are making in Toronto’s waterfront tell a very different story.
Together, we have moved the mouth of the Don River, created new naturalized landscapes, and opened Biidaasige Park — the largest park built in Toronto in a generation – as part of a $1.4-billion tri-government investment in flood protection and waterfront revitalization. More than 80,000 people now call Toronto’s waterfront home, and we are building new communities with affordable housing, green space, and the infrastructure to support them.
Just this week, the evidence of that commitment continued. On Monday, all three levels of government announced a $3-billion cost-sharing agreement to build the Waterfront East Transit line — a 3.8-kilometre LRT connecting Union Station to the Port Lands that will serve 150,000 people and enable the construction of 75,000 new homes (full announcement).
On Tuesday, Minister Marc Miller announced a renewed federal investment of more than $40 million in the Harbourfront Centre — Toronto’s waterfront hub for arts, culture, recreation, and family programming — ensuring it remains a vibrant, accessible gathering place for all Torontonians (full announcement).
And also this week, Prime Minister Carney and Environment Minister Julie Dabrusin unveiled a $3.8-billion national nature strategy — “A Force of Nature” — committing Canada to protecting 30% of our lands and 30% of our waters by 2030, with new national parks, marine conservation areas, and urban parks across the country (full announcement). While this is a national commitment, it reflects the same values we are applying here in Toronto: that the environment, our ecosystems, and our communities must be at the centre of how we build.
Our waterfront is being built for families, for recreation, for nature, and for the long term. That is the standard that will guide any conversation about Billy Bishop.
Protecting 2SLGBTQI+ Spaces and Communities
Concerns have been raised about the impact of any airport changes on Hanlan’s Point – one of Canada’s oldest and most significant 2SLGBTQI+ spaces, as well as a rare and precious lake and dune ecosystem. These concerns matter to me deeply.
Our federal Liberal government has been a champion for 2SLGBTQI+: we legalized equal marriage, banned conversion therapy, issued a formal apology for historic wrongs, and launched Canada’s first Federal 2SLGBTQI+ Action Plan backed by $100 million. More recently, in Budget 2025, our federal government committed additional funding to the 2SLGBTQI+ Community Capacity Fund, including significant funding for Pride parade(s) security.
We will ensure that any consultation on Billy Bishop’s future includes the voices of the 2SLGBTQI+ community.
Defending Public Health Care
Several of you have also raised the critical issue of enforcing the Canada Health Act. This is an issue I take very seriously. I have spoken directly with the Minister of Health on this matter, and she has assured me that the Canada Health Act is a core Canadian value and a top priority for the Carney government.
I also recently met with the Ontario Health Coalition to hear their concerns firsthand. Protecting universal public health care is non-negotiable for our government: full stop.
As your Member of Parliament and as Toronto Caucus Chair, I want you to know: your voice matters. Please keep writing to me. Please keep showing up. This is exactly how democracy is supposed to work.
Once again, wishing all of Dufferin Grove a peaceful and Happy Easter and a joyful Passover to all those celebrating.
My very best regards,
Julie Dzerowicz
Member of Parliament, Davenport
Chair, Toronto Caucus