Deputy Minister's appearance at the Committee of the Whole (CoW) Senate, June 16, 2025

7. Pickering Lands

LOCATION: Pickering, Ontario

Issue/Source: Government of Canada announces the Pickering Lands will not be

used for a future airport site (Transport Canada News Release, January 27, 2025)

Date: May 2025

 

Suggested Responses

  • The Pickering Lands are a strategic federal asset of national importance.

  • In January the Government of Canada announced that:
    • the Pickering Lands would not be used for a future airport site;
    • the intent was to transfer the high value conservation lands to Parks Canada to be added to the Rouge National Urban Park; and that
    • consultations would be undertaken regarding future uses of the lands

  • Information on next steps is expected in the coming months.

 

IF PRESSED

  • The Pickering Lands are of considerable strategic value, and the Government of Canada has decided that a new airport is not the best use for these lands.

  • As Canada’s air transport sector continues to evolve, the airports serving the Southern Ontario region will continue to meet the needs of their surrounding communities.

  • The Government of Canada will continue to monitor and study, as necessary, airport capacity needs in the region.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

    • In 1972, the Government of Canada acquired 75 km2 (18,600 acres) of land, 56 kilometres northeast of downtown Toronto, known as the Pickering Lands, to develop a new airport. In 1975, this plan was put on hold in favour of expanding existing airports. Properties on the Pickering Lands have been leased by the government to residential, farm and commercial tenants since that time.

    • In 2015, Transport Canada transferred approximately 19.1 km2 (4,700 acres) to Parks Canada for the creation of the Rouge National Urban Park (RNUP).  Subsequently in 2017, Transport Canada transferred an additional 21 km2 (5,200 acres) to Parks Canada to further expand the park. Transport Canada had retained approximately 35 km2 (8,700 acres) for a potential future airport.

    • Most of the Pickering Lands Site is used for agriculture but commercial uses and residential dwellings are also present. As of January 2025, a total of 293 parcels are leased. Land uses by lease type are: 

    • On January 27, 2025, Transport Canada announced that “the Pickering Lands will not be used for a future airport site. The Government of Canada intends to transfer the high conservation value lands to Parks Canada.” The news release also indicated that “a formal consultation process, including with existing tenants, Indigenous communities, and the public, will be launched in the coming weeks on future uses of the lands. These consultations will be critical to determining the path forward.”

    • In a separate news release, Parks Canada indicated that the Government of Canada had announced “its intent to transfer the administration of lands with high conservation value from Transport Canada’s Pickering Lands to be included in Rouge National Urban Park.” The Parks Canada news release also noted that “the Government of Canada is committed to establishing the future use of the land through a consultation process. As part of our commitment to respectful and inclusive decision-making through consultations with Indigenous partners, the Rouge National Urban Parks First Nations Advisory Circle and its members (the seven Williams Treaty Nations, the Mississaugas of the Credit, the Huron-Wendat, and the Six Nations of the Grand River) will be a priority first step.”
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