Letter to City of Pickering about Pickering Airport Lands

To Mayor Ashe and Pickering City Council,

The National Farmers Union-Ontario (NFU-O) wishes to congratulate Pickering City Council for its April 24, 2023 vote in favour of a motion declaring it does not support the building of an airport on the Pickering lands expropriated by the federal government back in 1972.

The NFU-O is an accredited farm organization in the province of Ontario. NFU-O policy calls on all levels of government to enact and follow transparent, rational planning guidelines, regulations and bylaws to ensure fairness to all citizens, to protect farmland and ecologically sensitive areas from development, and to prevent the further privatization of public lands.

Following the announcement that Transport Canada has “no intention” of building an airport on the land in the “near term” and the KPMG report making it clear that there is no need for an additional airport in southern Ontario until at least 2036, now is the time for Pickering City Council to work with the federal government in developing a plan to protect this land and its natural areas for future generations.

The approximately 9,000 acres within the Pickering federal lands are home to over 200 rare plant and animal species. The majority of the 6,500 acres of land currently being farmed within this federal expropriation are also assessed as prime Class 1 farmland. Less than 0.5% of all land in Canada is Class 1 farmland, the most fertile and productive of soils. With an estimated loss of 319 acres of farmland per day in Ontario, protecting these lands will be vital to ensuring food security for Pickering and area residents.

As Land Over Landings has pointed out, protecting these lands has many ancillary benefits to local residents. They have estimated that promoting agriculture on these lands has the potential to create over 2,100 jobs and contribute $240 million in economic activity in the region. Pickering has the opportunity to work with the federal government to:
– provide affordable long-term leases of farmland to the next generation of farmers;
– increase local food security;
– ensure the protection of the environment, heritage buildings, and indigenous archeological sites; and
– kickstart the rebuilding of rural communities and the local economy by creating a myriad of mixed farming and agri-tourist businesses and jobs.

We encourage Pickering City Council to work with the Federal Government in determining what to do with these lands by stressing their agricultural potential and all the ancillary benefits therein. In doing so, you can put Pickering and Durham Region on the map as being supporters of farmers, environmental protection, and vibrant local food systems.

Take advantage of this historic opportunity. Now that using this land for an airport has been shelved, show farmers, your constituents, and the world that Pickering understands the value of protecting and sustainably stewarding the remaining Class 1 farmland in the region. Local members of the NFU-O will be happy to work with you towards these ends.

Sincerely,

Elizabeth Stocking,
President, Local 345

Max Hansgen,
President, National Farmers Union – Ontario