The big business of Toronto’s Billy Bishop Airport

The Toronto Port Authority (TPA) has signed a deal to renovate an historic terminal building at Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport, while the facility continues to be an important growth engine in the local economy.

“When the new airport terminal opened in 2010, we de-commissioned Terminal A and were faced with a difficult decision as to what would become of this important piece of Toronto history,” said Geoffrey Wilson, president and CEO, Toronto Port Authority.

“We wanted to save the building and began looking for ideas and opportunities to put the building back into service, ideally as a public building for the waterfront community.”

The agreement in principle was reached earlier this month between the Toronto Airport authority and a group of private investors, represented by Toronto businessman and private pilot Alexander Younger.

The demand for a new terminal building was evident in the results of an economic study prepared for the Toronto Airport Authority by InterVISTAS Consulting Inc. The study found that the Billy Bishop airport plays a significant role in providing regional and continental transportation linkages that support and stimulate economic growth.

The results of this study, which are based on a review of March 2012 operations, reveals that Billy Bishop airport generates 1,700 direct jobs in Toronto.

Employees at the airport and related firms earn about $74 million in wages, which represents an average of $46,000 per person per year of employment.

Direct employment generates $200 million in direct gross domestic product (GDP) and $900 million in direct economic output in the Toronto economy annually.

In addition, 2,500 person years of employment are indirectly generated in industries in the Greater Toronto Area and surrounding regions that supply the businesses at the airport. Labour income associated with the total indirect employment is estimated at $140 million per annum.

The direct and indirect economic impact generated by the airport is $640 million in total annual GDP, and nearly $1.9 billion in total annual output to the Toronto economy and surrounding area.

Passenger traffic at the airport was forecasted to rise above two million passengers a year by the end of 2012.

The Terminal A project will provide a new dedicated tarmac space for the private pilot community. It involves moving the building slightly east on the existing airport property towards Hanlan’s Point, restoring and renovating the structure, and opening the terminal as a public restaurant and event space.

Specific plans and timelines for the project are being determined and will be made public in the coming months.

However, designers and television personalities have already confirmed interest in the project. Celebrity chefs and a restaurateur will also participate, with respect to the venue’s future food service offering and event space management.

The plan for an airport in Toronto began in the 1920s, when the Harbour Commission developed a strategy that would integrate an aircraft terminal with a modern port. City council gave its approval in 1937 for a main aerodrome south of the Western Channel and an all-weather backup at Malton, northwest of Toronto.

Terminal A, which is the original terminal at Billy Bishop airport, was built in 1939. It is a rare example of early airport terminal construction and one of the oldest in Canada.

The island airport required extensive lakefilling and the relocation of cottages to Algonquin Island. The baseball stadium and amusement park at Hanlan’s Point were demolished. Officially named the Port George VI Airport, it was completed two years after Malton.

Terminal A provided facilities for passenger and baggage handling, air traffic control and airport administration. A similar building at Malton Airport, now Toronto Pearson International Airport, was demolished in the 1960s.

During World War II, the Malton airport expanded. The George VI Airport became a training base for the Royal Norwegian Air Force, which relocated in 1943. It was then taken over by the Royal Canadian Air Force. After the war, Malton remained the base for major airlines.

Air Marshal William Avery “Billy” Bishop was a born in Owen Sound, Ont. and was a Canadian First World War flying ace. He is officially credited with 72 victories, making him the top Canadian ace of the war.

During the Second World War, Bishop was instrumental in setting up and promoting the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan. The TPA owns and operates Billy Bishop airport, the Port of Toronto (Terminals 51 and 52), and Toronto’s Outer Harbour Marina.