By Mike Anderson
This week York-Simcoe MP Scot Davidson rose in question period to ask Transport Minister Omar Alghabra how he intends to close a loophole that allows waste disposal companies to operate landfills under the guise of building an aerodrome, bypassing municipal soil-dumping bylaws.
The Minister was evasive and did not provide a credible answer.
That’s because federal regulations for new aerodromes lack transparency and accountability and are in dire need of reform.
New Aerodrome Ontario 2021, the company proposing to build an aerodrome in Pefferlaw, is not a legal business entity. It is not registered as a corporation, partnership or sole proprietorship in Ontario or Canada.
That means there is no way for the public to determine who is actually behind this proposal.
The strange thing is that Transport Canada is okay with that.
According to Transport Canada, there is no regulatory requirement that requires it to release the identity of the proponent to the public. That information is considered private and can only be disclosed by the proponent. But what if the proponent refuses to do so?
Both Mr. Marchioni, the lawyer listed as a contact for the proposal, and the civil aviation consultant hired by the proponent have refused to identify who is behind the new aerodrome.
The only way to find out is to file an Access to Information and Privacy (ATIP) request with the Ministry, which normally takes 30 days, but will be delayed by the pandemic.
The Post has filed an ATIP request, but the proponent’s identity will only be known after the public comment period ends on December 22, allowing the Minister to give his rubber-stamp approval.
Besides a lack of transparency, there is a shocking lack of accountability.
Why doesn’t Transport Canada do its due diligence and reject bogus proponents before a new aerodrome proposal reaches the public comment stage?
And why isn’t a proponent required to pre-consult with the Town of Georgina before it proceeds?
Clearly, it’s time for regulatory reform.
But first, Minister Alghabra do the right thing. See this proposal for what it is – a for-profit landfill disguised as an aerodrome – and cancel it.
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