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皮克林机场死灰复燃

Pickering is asking for airport to be expedited
来源: Bob Mok
 
 
 
 
2017年10月10日,皮克林市市议会通过一项动议。该市议会一改过去四十年来反对立场,要求兴建皮克林机场,前提是如果现在正在进行的一项可行性报告支持这一决定。

With a motion on Oct 10, 2017 the Pickering City Council reversed its stance over four decades and urged the development of the Pickering Airport, subject to the results of a study that's currently underway.
 
 
当晚,皮克林市议会讨论一个由市府工作人员提出的如何吸引投资和创造就业机会的工作报告。该报告指出,要想吸引像亚马逊这样的跨国公司到皮克林创新走廊,皮克林市就必须开发必要的市政基础设施,报告的主要建议之一是兴建皮克林机场。

On that night, Pickering City Council was presented with a staff report on investment attraction and job creation, which outlined the need to develop the requisite infrastructure to attract multinational companies, like Amazon, to Pickering's Innovation Corridor. One of the report's key recommendations focused on a Pickering airport.
 
 
市议会当天做出决定,皮克林市将竞争亚马逊在该市设立第二个北美总部(HQ2)。如果亚马逊在该市入户,它将给该地区增加5万个工作岗位。亚马逊第二个总部的建筑成本预计将超过50亿美元。

Council approved the City of Pickering’s plans to bid as a candidate to host Amazon’s second North American headquarters (HQ2). Landing Amazon would attract 50,000 jobs to the area, and construction costs are expected to exceed $5 billion US.
 
 
在许多的投资建议中,一项建议是皮克林市政府通告联邦政府,皮克林将支持开发机场项目,前提是该市必须达到航空业所规定的要求,包括皮克林机场研究报告(毕马威会计事务所正在写这份报告)和必须的环保影响评估报告。联邦政府正在等待机场研究报告,以决定是否给此项目开绿灯。

Buried in the many different recommendation was one advising the Federal Government of the City of Pickering's support of the development of an airport in Pickering, subject to the results identified in the Aviation Sector Analysis - Pickering Airport Study (currently prepared by KPMG) and the appropriate Environmental Assessments. The Federal Government is waiting to review that Airport Study report before making a decision on the project.
 
 
80年代后抵达加拿大的新移民也许不知道70年代初的皮克林机场土地征收的故事。1972年,联邦政府收购了7,500公顷的皮克林市的土地,以防未来兴建机场的需要。这片土地位于跨越皮克林,万锦和Uxbridge三个城市,位于多伦多东北,距多伦多市中心55公里。当年,绝大部分人反对这个项目。在安省政府宣布不参与此项目的合作,并声明安省不会兴建通向机场的道路和下水管线的情况下,机场建设于1975年彻底停工。

Newcomers to Canada after the 1980's may not know anything about the Pickering Airport land expropriations in the early 1970's. In 1972, 7,500 hectares of Pickering Lands were acquired by the federal government to be retained for a possible future airport and to protect all future aviation options. It is located in Pickering, Markham and Uxbridge (55 km northeast of downtown Toronto). Opposition to the project was widespread. Preliminary airport construction activity was halted in 1975 when the provincial partner in the enterprise, the Government of Ontario, declared it would not build the roads or sewers needed to service the site.
 
 
对于那些被征用的土地,农场主们不再拥有被征土地内的房屋和土地的产权。政府通过短期租赁合同把这些被征用的土地返租给农场主。但这一做法让农场主们没有对种植多种农作物的积极性,即使这些土地就在多伦多蔬菜市场和餐馆的旁边。这些土地主要被农场主种植耗费土地营养的经济作物,如用作制乙醇的玉米。土地租赁同时也导致了在这些土地上的房屋因主人没有长期居住打算而年久失修。租赁合同规定,租赁者不能修理或装修这些租赁土地上的产业。当然,也有一些人因热爱自己的家产而花钱去打理这些产业。

On the expropriated lands, the farmers do not own their family's home or the land. The government is leasing land to farmers on short-term contracts, which discourages agricultural businesses from investing in diverse crops, even though the area is so close to Toronto markets and restaurants. The land is being used mainly for nutrient-depleting cash crops, such as corn to make ethanol. This also leads to the dilapidation of country houses due to years of neglect under the imposed rental system for properties. The lease contracts stated that the farmers can not make repairs or improvements to their properties. Some of them do anyway, because they love their heritage properties.
 
 
名字为“是百姓第一还是机场第一”的组织2005年成立。该组织的目的是反对在皮克林市兴建机场。目前该组织已改名为 “机场的那些土地”。他们反对兴建机场,坚信这片肥沃的农业用地应该保留,造福下一代。这个组织对有人“偷偷摸摸地”和采取“不当手段”,打着吸引亚马逊的名义来让兴建机场问题死灰复燃感到非常失望。亚马逊要在北美兴建第二个总部的消息是北美这几天人们所谈论的热衷话题。

“Land over Landings” is an organization established in 2005 as a successor to “People or Planes” to oppose a new round of evictions and demolitions. They were and remain a strong voice for protesters but they are also advocates for the preservation of this rich farmland for the benefit of future generations.  This organization is very upset about what was considered by what many have described as “sneaky” and “underhanded” tactics to pass recommendations in support of an airport was buried in a bid to attract Amazon – a prospect that’s sending ripples through big cities all across the continent.
 
 
是否兴建皮克林机场是10月10日皮克林市市议会和各方代表讨论的主要话题。显然,亲机场派事先得到通知,他们在会上对此话题的发言准备充分和有效。但是那些建机场的真正利益相关者,包括匹克克林的居民,第三选区的选民和“机场的那些土地”组织,却没有接到市议会关于这一有争议话题进行讨论的任何通知。他们只是在开会的几天前通过其他渠道了解到要就此话题开会。这让我想起了几年前万锦时市提出要兴建体育馆的那场闹剧。当初,万锦市议会利用各种方法,包括压制各种反对建体育馆的声音,企图使体育馆的项目上马。

Pickering airport was the subject of most of the discussion and delegations at the Pickering Council meeting. The pro-airport faction had clearly been notified of the recommendation well in advance and was present in force and well-prepared. While the real stakeholders – the residents of North Pickering, the voters in Ward 3, and “Land Over Landings” – were NOT informed of the meeting’s incendiary purpose by anyone on Council. They learned of it through other channels and was able to spread the word only the day before the meeting. This reminds me of the Arena fiasco in Markham a few years back where our Council used every advantage at their disposal to get things going their way and minimizing all oppositions to their proposals.
 
 
下一篇,我将继续提供更多关于拟议的皮克林机场的故事,以及减少机场占地面积的问题。

Next time, I will continue to give more details on the saga of the proposed Pickering Airport and its current status with regard to the reduction in its total area.
 
 

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