Good Morning. I would like to seek your assistance in saving the Edmonton City Center airport. I am aware that the airport is closed but would like to ask your assistance by signing the petition, the link of which is at the bottom of this I have attached a list of legal reasons why the airport decision should be reversed. The decision can be reversed legally and we can save the airport even though it has been closed and some of the runway removed. The reasons are simple.
1.The government, both Federally and Provincially as well as locally as a duty to public safety and well being. By first closing the airports only ILS runway they removed a safety net for aircraft which could make use of the system in bad weather. This ILS system could be used by both conventional pilots as well as Medivac flights in an emergency. Secondly they closed the remaining runway which put anyone in a flight emergency at risk (low fuel or aircraft malfunction which put passengers and flight crew of any aircraft en-route to another location at risk but more importantly anyone in need of medical assistance/care could have had quick access to medical services without the added driving delays from going from the international airport. The idea of using slower helicopters which are not permitted to fly in icy conditions is a bad decision. The travel time by road is also not a good alternative due to the time delay in getting from the international airport to Edmonton is at least 45 min in good weather and increases with winter or rain conditions which may even close sections of the road or have delays because of an automotive accident that happened before or during the road trip to the medical facilities located within Edmonton. 2 We know that 737 aircraft have traveled into the City Center Airport in the past and therefore placing a 10 seat limit on any aircraft making use of the City Center Airport was a deliberate ploy to reduce the number of aircraft that could make use of the airport. This again caused travelers to incur additional travel times from the international airport and in many cases even increased expenditures by those wishing to make use of the airport and in many cases the trips are now canceled or driven by road which further decreased revenue into the City Center Airport as well as Edmonton. 3. Edmonton used to have easy access to bus terminal/tax and train systems within walking distance of the airport and again these other businesses were moved to other locations which would decrease the convenience of the airport. 4. The Edmonton Airport Authority is involved in the re-development of the airport which is not it's mandate. The airport authority is working with other airports and some of the people involved are also working in land development or working with those who are which is a conflict of interest and some other airports have also suffered reduced use and or closure by the same tactics outlined here. 5. It has been stated that the property in part that is / was the City Center Airport was the "Hangman Farm" and the property was acquired by seizing it for back owed taxes. Other reports states that that area of land was given to the city from the Hudson's Bay Company and therefore although the city may in fact currently be the holder of the property. The property was once used as a Military Bases during the war and is a key element in the history of the war and in Canada having been the first licensed "airport" in Canada. Other lands around the area were expropriated to allow the airport to expand. Typically these lands are to be returned to the family when the land use is no longer required, and therefore the land in and around may in fact not all belong to the city. 6. Various statutes require that the people have a vote as to the use of "public" assets due to the fact that the city gains all of its revenue by way of the people, without taxes and fee based use the city would have no money in which to operate. The city did a vote in the past and the vote according to the records was in favor of keeping the airport open for public use as well as to meet the medical needs of the people. When a second vote was put forth in 2009 city officials or Airport Authorities removed some names who were in favor of the airport remaining in service in order to skew the vote. 7. The city, and more importantly the Federal Government, have the ability to expropriate land if it is in the best interest of the public's safety and wellbeing. Look at the ring road that goes around Edmonton, similar roads are used around most cities in Canada. A ring road is far less important than an airport which is within 5 min of a medical center and I would state that increasing the travel time to an airport in an emergency medical situation is not in the best interest of the public. 8. Airports unless private are airports to which everyone has a right to use, therefore EVERYONE including those outside of Alberta have a voice and a say as to what happens to the airport. Airports are governed FEDERALLY through NAV CANADA. 9. It should also be noted that the City Center Airport land has had fuel drained on the ground, oil spills and other leaks from the operations which took place over the last 80+ years and the city could not legally sell or make use of the property without doing an environmental cleanup of the site which would not be cost effective and would see property taxes raise. 10 .It should also be noted that many leases on building and property which was the City Center Airport in many cases had not expired and as such had to be bought out. Anyone in this position has grounds to go after the city for breach of contract which typically should happen within 1 ~2 years pursuant to the statute of limitations, however could happen as late as 6 years after the breach, additionally anyone who has not been paid within one year of the set buyout contract date also has grounds to take possession of the property to which they still hold the lease. These buyouts and or legal expenses will of course be an additional cost to the tax payer as the cities only source of revenue. 11. Due to the height restriction of buildings which are in the flight path of the airport, anyone working in real-estate or land development or who owned land or purchased land which was on said flight path would no longer have the height limit and would gain heavily due in part to the increase in land value once the City Center Airport were to close. It is the writers thought that this can be the only real motivation for the closure of the historical landmark site. 12. One may argue that the airport noise is grounds to close the airport, however seeing as the airport is over 80 years old and the land around the airport development happened after the birth of the airport and the majority of the residential or commercial residence moved in knowing of the airports operations, the airport would be "legal and non conforming" with respect to any bylaws passed. 13. The loss of the airport is the loss of an asset which generated revenue and growth for Edmonton and Alberta and which was operating in the black and provided needed air support for Northern Alberta and Northern Canada as was known as the "GATEWAY TO THE NORTH" with the closure of the airport many businesses and other communities will find alternatives and Alberta and Edmonton will suffer as a result of the airport closure. If anyone would be interested in contributing to the legal defense fund for the airport they are asked to contact Stan McDonald at smcdonal at kos.net and or sign the petition at http://www.thepetitionsite.com/273/825/800/save-the-edmonton-city-center-airport/ Thank You.
