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104-516: In the early 1970s, the provincial government expropriated and purchased approximately 8,100 hectares of land in north Pickering. These lands, known as the North Pickering Land Assembly, were acquired to develop a community of approximately 250,000. This community would serve the proposed federal international airport , which was to be located just to the north. To date, not only has an airport not been constructed, but there

208-456: A 50-nautical-mile radius of Malton. The final contenders were Lake Scugog , Lake Simcoe , Orangeville , and Guelph , with the Guelph site ranked highest. In May 1971, in a Toronto-Centred Region plan, the provincial government announced its intention to direct new growth to the east of Toronto. This eastern emphasis became a cause of friction between the federal and provincial governments:

312-455: A Pickering airport would disrupt community development plans and destroy "high quality farmland", that the rolling countryside would be costly to level, and that the town of Claremont would have to be phased out. Furthermore, the site offered no room for expansion. It was suitable for a two-runway airport, with four runways possible "but with considerably greater difficulty". In August 1971, Ontario planners came to similar conclusions, stating that

416-456: A Pickering airport would prevent the creation of two planned towns called Brock and Audley, destroy an area designated as a provincial agricultural and recreational preserve, and "have a major influence on the operation of Toronto International". Despite the site's drawbacks, which had led to Pickering's elimination early in the original site selection process, the federal announcement of March 1972, described Pickering as an "excellent" site. This

520-477: A home nearby, a year earlier. Both properties were off what is now Highway 6, an area that was Guelph Township at the time. In 1829, the Canada Company fired Galt because of poor bookkeeping and not obeying company policies. He returned to Great Britain penniless and was imprisoned because he was unable to pay his debts. In 1831, Guelph had approximately 800 residents. For several years, the economy of

624-523: A new airport within the period under study and gave no indication as to when an airport might be needed after that. On April 18, 2023, the Minister of Transport announced that Transport Canada had issued a Request for Proposals, seeking aviation professional services contractors to help the department analyze current and future airport supply and demand in Southern Ontario. Once the scope of

728-527: A potential future airport site. In June 2016, Transport Canada's consultant, Dr. Gary Polonsky, presented his report on airport stakeholder viewpoints based on 64 individual and small-group interviews in 2015 and 2016. The report was released to the public in November. It was billed as the first independent study done on the Pickering lands in a generation. Dr. Polonsky's first recommendation: "Undertake

832-503: A resolution in council affirming that Oshawa airport will remain open until 2032 or longer. There are no operational and physical constraints that would inhibit Oshawa airport from operating when Pickering opens. In the draft plan presented by the GTAA in 2004, it proposed closing all three general aviation airports to jumpstart traffic at Pickering airport. Mixing the displaced general aviation traffic with increased heavy passenger jet traffic

936-532: A sound business plan and if they are in the best interests of this community." On July 13, 2015, Lisa Raitt, the federal Minister of Transport, while confirming that no decisions had been made on the development or timing of a potential future airport, reaffirmed that the remaining lands were being retained for economic development, including a potential future airport. She also indicated that an independent advisor would be appointed to consult with local public and private interests on potential economic opportunities on

1040-451: A variety of block sizes and shapes which are still in place today. The street plan was laid out in a radial street and grid system that branches out from downtown, a technique which was also employed in other planned towns of this era, such as Buffalo, New York . The founding was symbolized by the felling of a tree by Galt and William "Tiger" Dunlop , who would be significant in the history of Goderich, Ontario , on April 23, 1827. That

1144-625: A vocal group of anti-expansion residents there were in Premier-in-waiting William Davis's electoral riding. Within months of the halt to construction at Pickering, new federal Transport Minister Otto Lang was announcing that no new air carriers would be allowed at Malton for at least five years. Malton's general manager accused federal officials of stalling improvements to the airport as a way of making Ontario reverse its position and provide support infrastructure for Pickering after all. In November 1978, Minister Lang told

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1248-621: Is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Pickering Airport The Pickering Airport Lands are parcels of lands owned by the Government of Canada located in York Region and Durham Region in the Greater Toronto Area of Ontario . The lands, totaling approximately 18,600 acres (7,500 hectares) and located approximately 56 kilometres (35 miles) east of Downtown Toronto , were expropriated in 1972 by

1352-501: Is a concern to many small aircraft pilots who would have no choice but to use the new airport, as larger airports tend to be less friendly to general aviation, and more difficult for student pilot training. The future of the Pickering Airport Lands became an election issue in the 2015 Canadian federal election . In local candidate meetings only local Conservative candidates expressed support for building an airport on

1456-622: Is built on several drumlins and buried waterways, the most notable being an underground creek flowing below the Albion Hotel, once the source of water used to brew beer. Guelph is the largest Canadian city to rely almost entirely on groundwater for its drinking supply, which is sourced from two main aquifers. This region of Ontario has cold winters and warm, humid summers, falling into the Köppen climate classification Dfb zone ( humid continental ), with moderately high rainfall and snowfall. It

1560-480: Is generally a couple of degrees cooler than lower elevation regions on the Great Lakes shorelines, especially so in winter, the exception being on some spring afternoons when the lack of an onshore breeze boosts temperatures well above those found lakeside. The highest temperature ever recorded in Guelph was 38.3 °C (100.9 °F) on August 6, 1918, and July 13, 1936. The coldest temperature ever recorded

1664-599: Is no official decision regarding whether it is required. The Seaton lands (originally known as Cedarwood), have received much attention from local residents and environmentalists. It was a prominent component of the North Pickering Land Exchange of November 2003 enacted by the Liberal provincial government, in which developers received land in Seaton in exchange for lands owned by those developers on

1768-573: The Basilica of Our Lady Immaculate , McCrae House and Old City Hall . The city is home to the University of Guelph , established in 1964, and Sleeman Breweries Ltd. The Ontario Agricultural College (OAC), the oldest part of the University of Guelph , began in 1874 as an associate agricultural college of the University of Toronto . According to Maclean's , the current University of Guelph, founded in 1964, "grew out of three founding colleges:

1872-611: The Oak Ridges Moraine , primarily in Richmond Hill and Uxbridge . Development of the area began near Taunton Road in 2017, as well as at Whites Road and Highway   7 as of 2023. Similar to Cornell in the adjacent City of Markham , Seaton will have planned communities built within it. Pickering has named these as: This Ontario geographical article about a location in the Golden Horseshoe

1976-692: The University of Guelph , "the area was home to a First Nations community called the Attawandaron who lived in longhouses surrounded by fields of corn". The majority of this nation, about 4,000 people, lived in a village near what is now the Badenoch area of Puslinch , near Morriston. In 1784, the British Crown purchased a tract of land, that included present-day Guelph, from the Mississauga people for approximately £1,180. John Galt ,

2080-673: The Yukon Gold potato was first bred at the University of Guelph in 1966; it became available on the market in 1981. Guelph's police force had Canada's first municipal motorcycle patrol. Chief Ted Lamb brought back an army motorcycle he used during the First World War. Motorcycles were faster and more efficient than walking. Guelph has several buildings on the National Historic Sites of Canada register:

2184-440: The "French Canadian who could be accused of not giving an airport to Ontario after having given one to Quebec [Mirabel]". Together with Minister Marchand's desire to give Toronto what he had just given Montreal, there was the advice of chief consultant Philip Beinhaker, of Peat Marwick and Partners, who, while admitting a preference for expanding Malton, had pronounced the expansion "politically unsaleable", in part because Malton and

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2288-494: The "fertile soils have led to the majority of the land being classified as Class 1 or 2 in the Canada Land Inventory soil capability classification for agriculture". The draft plan went into limbo when Transport Canada announced on May 9, 2007, that the GTAA had now been commissioned to complete "a needs assessment study for a potential Pickering airport". The Needs Assessment Study: Pickering Lands, Final Report

2392-540: The 1-year leases that had been available since the 1970s. That announcement was soon followed by confirmation that another 2,104 hectares (5,200 acres) of the Pickering Lands had been formally transferred to Rouge National Urban Park, leaving approximately 3,521 hectares (8,700 acres) for a potential future airport. KPMG's full report, "Pickering Lands Aviation Sector Analysis" was released by Transport Canada on March 5, 2020. The findings had been expected to form

2496-476: The 62 million passengers the GTAA was then forecasting for Pearson by 2032. Pearson’s total passenger numbers climbed to 50.5 million in 2019, but the Covid-19 pandemic had a devastating impact on global aviation, starting with the first lockdowns in the spring of 2020. By July 2020, Pearson’s passenger numbers had dropped to 1996 levels. Only 13.3 million passengers were processed through Pearson that year. In

2600-650: The Allan family, in the 1850s. This business was extensively damaged by fire in 1876 and ceased operation as a mill; the site was later used by manufacturing companies. (In 2019, the current John Sleeman reinstated the Spring Mill Distillery on the site which also includes a condominium apartment complex.) The more recent business, a sawmill known as the Goldie Mill, was also on the Speed; this building

2704-524: The Board of Light and Heat Commissioners. Guelph was one of 13 municipalities that helped to create the provincial entity that became Ontario Hydro . The Communist Party of Canada began as an illegal organization in a barn behind a farmhouse on Metcalfe Street in Guelph on 1921. Guelph was the home of North America's first cable TV system . Fredrick T. Metcalf created MacLean Hunter Television (now part of Rogers Communications ) and their first broadcast

2808-688: The Board of Trade, and in 1919, it became the Chamber of Commerce. In order to eliminate the need for farmers to take their grain to Galt or Dundas for grinding, the Canada Company built the first grist mill; the Guelph Mill was sold to William Allen in 1832. A sawmill was erected in 1833 by Charles Julius Mickle, originally from Scotland, on the Marden Creek which runs into the Speed River; its ruin survives today. The Mickle family also built

2912-636: The Canadian Air Land Sea Museum, is the most at risk as it is right next door and under the approach to runway 10R at the new airport. In addition part of Markham airport, including half of its only runway, was originally expropriated for the Pickering airport. Questions on if the construction of the Pickering Airport next to an existing airport (Markham CNU8) would violate the Aeronautical Act have been raised by

3016-623: The Canadian operation. According to research completed by the City of Guelph in 2010, fabricated metal product manufacturing accounted for 26.1% of the types of industries, followed by machinery manufacturing for 12.8% and miscellaneous manufacturing for 10.4%. The city's Economic Development Strategy identified life science , agri-food and biotechnology firms, environmental management and technology companies as growth industries on which to focus economic development activities. The city also touts

3120-558: The Federal Green Space plan were never formalized. On September 30, 2004, site zoning regulations were passed for an airport on the Federal Lands in Pickering. In November 2004, the GTAA submitted its Pickering Airport Draft Plan Report to Transport Canada. The plan was for a large three-runway reliever airport. The report also referred to the long history of agricultural activity on the Pickering lands and noted that

3224-557: The Federal Lands, the first tract of land to become part of the Rouge National Urban Park. Parks Canada has been working closely with tenants on that land and has made it clear that agriculture will be one of the central pillars of the new Park. On July 11, 2015, the Prime Minister announced that the federal government is transferring an additional 2,100 hectares (5,200 acres) in Pickering and Uxbridge to

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3328-419: The GTAA completed a Pickering Airport " Needs Assessment Study " commissioned by the federal government. The study's report recommended that the federal government retain the Pickering lands, "thereby preserving the option of building an airport, if and when required". The Canadian Owners and Pilots Association, an association of private plane owners and pilots, took exception to the methodology and conclusions of

3432-545: The Great Western Railway. The first section of the Wellington, Grey & Bruce Railway, between Guelph and Elora , opened in 1870; the line would eventually run as far as Southampton, Ontario , with stations in communities such as Palmerston , Harriston , Listowel and Wingham . The company was not very successful, and never did reach Owen Sound as planned, partly because of stiff competition from

3536-683: The Guelph Railway Company, an important part of the history of Guelph Transit . Only five miles of track had been laid by 1895, but the line was extended in 1902; the radial railway eventually reached Toronto, as the Ontario Hydro Electric Railways - Guelph District (owned by Ontario Hydro). In addition to carrying passengers, the cars carted coal to heat the Ontario Agricultural College. By 1886, telephones were quite common in

3640-457: The Guelph region's manufacturing was experiencing significant growth, averaging 5.9% over the past five years and expected to be 4.2% in 2019. Linamar is the city's leader in this sector, with 22 manufacturing plants. The company has received government funding for expansion that would create additional jobs, most recently in 2015 ($ 101 million) and in 2018 ($ 99 million). The latter would create 1,500 additional jobs and maintain 8,000 others in

3744-736: The Halton Block, a Crown reserve for the Six Nations Iroquois. Galt is generally considered Guelph's founder. For many years, Guelph ranked at or near the bottom of Canada's crime severity list. However, the 2017 index showed a 15% increase from 2016. It had one of the country's lowest unemployment rates throughout the Great Recession . In late 2018, the Guelph Eramosa and Puslinch entity had an unemployment rate of 2.3%, which decreased to 1.9% by January 2019,

3848-535: The House of Commons that Malton would not be expanded, and a study into a possible fourth runway was stopped. The interdiction did not last. Over the years, Toronto Pearson International has been expanded to five runways, with a sixth runway planned. Numerous studies were undertaken in the late 1960s to determine whether Canada's airports could deal with future air passenger volumes. At Malton, passenger numbers in 1970 totalled 6.4 million, but consultants' forecasts for

3952-519: The Marquis of Lorne, and his wife was Princess Louise, Duchess of Argyll , one of Queen Victoria's daughters. Construction of the Church of Our Lady Immaculate, known as the Basilica of Our Lady Immaculate since late 2014, was already underway but would not be completed until 1883. (The twin towers were not added until 1926.) A few years later, George Sleeman Sr. founded an electric radial railway,

4056-789: The Northern Railway of Canada as well as the Toronto, Grey and Bruce Railway . By the mid-1870s, the Wellington, Grey & Bruce Railway was in financial trouble; it eventually became part of the Grand Trunk system, and later, the Canadian National Railway . By January 1871, some residents of the town had access to gas, provided by the Guelph Gas Company via pipes, initially to about 100 homes. Electricity would not become commonly available until

4160-616: The Ontario Agricultural College (1874), the Ontario Veterinary College (1862) and the Macdonald Institute (1903)". Guelph Collegiate Vocational Institute (GCVI), established in the 1840s, is one of the province's oldest high schools. The Former Canadian National Railways (VIA Rail/GO Transit) Station at 79 Carden Street was listed in 1992. In 2017, Scientology Canada announced it would move its Canadian headquarters to Guelph. Some residents protested

4264-403: The Rouge National Urban Park. Over half of the farmland, streams, and natural habitat expropriated in 1972–1973 will now be permanently protected. The Prime Minister also said that the federal government intends to use the remaining lands for economic development, adding: "But let there be no doubt. Our Government will only support projects on these lands, including an airport, if they are backed by

Seaton, Ontario - Misplaced Pages Continue

4368-639: The Speed River near the current River Run Centre for performing arts and could house up to 100 people. The building eventually became the Canadian Pacific Railway Priory station on the Guelph Junction Railway before it was eventually torn down and removed. A historical plaque commemorates John Galt's role with the Canada Company in populating Upper Canada 's Huron Tract , calling it "the most important single attempt at settlement in Canadian history". (Galt

4472-668: The Wellington County Museum and Archives. Guelph was incorporated as a city in 1879 with a Special Act of the Ontario legislature. At this time, Guelph became politically separated from Wellington County and was no longer represented on the Wellington County Council. At separation, the population was about 10,000. During the inauguration, Mayor George Howard first used the term "Royal City". The only "royals" to actually visit were John Campbell,

4576-541: The airport. The federal government expropriated about 7,530 hectares (18,600 acres) of farmland for the airport, as well as the village of Brougham and the hamlet of Altona. Expropriation went ahead despite widespread public opposition and the Province's ongoing concerns. In September 1975, airport construction was halted when the Government of Ontario withdrew its agreement to provide the necessary infrastructure for

4680-474: The airports opponents. The Markham Airport , has been around since 1965 and is currently looking to expand to a 6,000 ft runway and take-on the new role of private aviation airport after the closure of the Buttonville Airport . The land that Buttonville Airport sits on has been sold for development to Cadillac Fairview and the airport closed on November 24, 2023. The city of Oshawa has passed

4784-500: The analysis required to make a decision on the need for an airport." The consulting firm of KPMG had already been commissioned by Transport Canada (in May 2016) to review aviation demand and capacity within the southern Ontario airport system over the next 20 years At the same time, Transport Canada announced that it would begin offering 10-year agricultural leases on the Lands in place of

4888-440: The basis for a decision on the type and timing of a potential future airport. However, a Transport Canada factsheet for the Pickering Lands emphasises that "The report was not intended to provide a recommendation on whether to build an airport on the Pickering Lands. The Aviation Sector Analysis is one of many inputs into the development of policy options on the future of the Pickering Lands." KPMG’s analysis found no requirement for

4992-470: The city. An April news article described the situation as follows. "Telephones are rapidly being introduced into private homes, where they prove a great convenience. Ladies order their groceries, consult their medical advisers, call their husbands home from the club and gossip with their friends by telephone." In 1903 the City purchased the Guelph Light & Power Company, and four years later created

5096-472: The community had 15 stores, seven taverns, and some industry, tanneries, breweries, distilleries and a starch factory. The Post Office was receiving mail daily. Guelph was incorporated as a town in 1855 and the first mayor elected was John Smith. Despite optimism, the population growth was very slow until the Grand Trunk Railway reached it from Toronto, en route to Sarnia , in 1856; the town

5200-746: The company's Board. Downtown Guelph is situated above the confluence of the Speed River and the Eramosa River , which have numerous tributaries. The Speed River enters from the north and the Eramosa River from the east; the two rivers meet below downtown and continue southwest, where they merge with the Grand River (Ontario) . There are also many creeks and smaller rivers creating large tracts of densely forested ravines, and providing ideal sites for parks and recreational trails. The city

5304-547: The early 1900s, from the Guelph Light and Heat Commission. An 1877 plan to start the Guelph Street Railway, using horse-drawn vehicles to deliver freight and passengers within Guelph, never came to fruition. A poor house with a farm, The Wellington County House of Industry and Refuge, opened in December 1877 in a rural area near Guelph; many orphans from Guelph were admitted. The building still stands, as

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5408-493: The east of Toronto. The federal government abandoned its plan for three new airports and decided instead to build one large international airport east of Toronto. On March 2, 1972, the federal Minister of Transport announced the construction of a "major airport" in Pickering, while the Treasurer of the Province of Ontario simultaneously announced plans for a new satellite city, called Cedarwood, to be built immediately south of

5512-543: The federal finance minister announced revised plans for the Pickering airport lands, stating that the Government of Canada would set aside an area in the southeast, of about 3,500 hectares (8,700 acres), for a future airport that would be needed in the 2027–2037 time-frame. About 2,000 hectares (5,000 acres) in York Region would be transferred to Parks Canada, to become part of the new Rouge National Urban Park. The remaining land, approximately 2,000 hectares (4,900 acres),

5616-819: The federal government intending for a second international airport to serve the city of Toronto , its metropolitan area , and the surrounding Golden Horseshoe region. Since then, the federal government has leased the lands to private tenants and allocated more than half to form the Rouge National Urban Park . Plans for an airport were developed during the late 1960s and early 1970s. The 1972 announcement affected properties in Pickering , Uxbridge , and Markham townships in York and Durham Regions. Residents were forced to leave as demolitions of houses and barns began. Preliminary airport construction activity

5720-451: The federal government preferred an airport location to the west, the province wanted an eastern site. In an attempt to resolve the impasse, the federal government proposed a plan to build three new airports instead of one. Two small 2,000–4,000 hectare (5,000–10,000 acre) airports would be built to handle short-haul traffic, on sites previously eliminated as unsuitable for a large airport. The first of these small airports would be constructed in

5824-466: The federal government to determine if it should proceed with a regional/reliever airport on the Pickering Lands". In 2002, the federal government announced a plan to preserve 3,051 hectares (7,540 acres) of the site, no longer needed for the airport, as green space in perpetuity, providing a corridor of land connecting the Rouge Park with the Oak Ridges Moraine . Management and protection details of

5928-512: The first Superintendent of the Canada Company , was hired to help colonize Upper Canada. He selected Guelph as the headquarters of this British development firm. Galt was a popular Scottish poet and novelist who also designed the town to attract settlers and farmers to the surrounding countryside. His design intended the town to resemble a European city centre, complete with squares, broad main streets and narrow side streets, resulting in

6032-481: The first nine months of 2023, passenger activity recovered to 87.6 per cent relative to the same period in 2019. There has been significant community opposition to a Pickering airport, originally led by People or Planes, then by V.O.C.A.L. (Voters Organized to Cancel the Airport Lands), and since 2005, by Land Over Landings . Transport Canada’s Southern Ontario Area Airports Study (1995) acknowledged

6136-451: The future of the Pickering Lands." The Minister also announced that the government had no intention of proceeding with the building of an airport on the Pickering Lands in the near term, and that the study’s conclusions could even indicate that no airport is needed in the long term. On April 24, 2023, Pickering Council voted 6–1 to withdraw its previous support for an airport on the lands and to spend no more tax dollars or staff resources on

6240-522: The future. After the airport construction was stopped, the federal government began to lease the site's farmland and houses to tenants, some of them former owners of the properties. This practice continued, and there were no significant developments until 2001, when Transport Canada resurrected the airport idea and commissioned the Greater Toronto Airport Authority (GTAA) to "undertake interim planning work that would enable

6344-542: The hamlet of Altona and the village of Brougham are situated entirely within the expropriated area. The closest large communities are Claremont (an exurban village of around 2,800 residents, located northeast of the airport lands in Pickering), and to the west, in York Region, the town of Stouffville and the city of Markham. A significant 15th century Huron ancestral village on the airport site (the Draper Site )

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6448-401: The highest among medium-sized cities in Canada. "Although economic growth is poised to moderate in 2019, Guelph will maintain its place as one of Canada’s economic growth leaders," the report predicted. Manufacturing is the leading sector of the economy of the city with the most significant sector being auto parts manufacturing. The Conference Board of Canada 's August 2019 report stated that

6552-400: The importance of advanced manufacturing which is its largest employer. The roughly 360 businesses of this type employ approximately 14,755 people (roughly 25% of Guelph's labour force). The category includes "high precision manufacturing and auto parts assembly to plastic injection moulding machines manufacturing and automation devices. This enables advanced manufacturing to be a strong driver of

6656-426: The intersection of Highway 6 , Highway 7 and Wellington County Road 124. It is the seat of Wellington County , but is politically independent of it. Guelph began as a settlement in the 1820s, established by John Galt , who was in Upper Canada as the first superintendent of the Canada Company . He based the headquarters, and his home, in the community. The area—much of which became Wellington County—was part of

6760-506: The lands, with the NDP, Liberal and Green candidates expressing opposition. The future of the Pickering Airport Lands became an election issue in the 2018 Durham Region municipal elections when it was debated whether building a new airport in the Pickering-Ajax area could be a worthwhile economic driver for the region. Most Mayoral candidates, with the exception of the incumbent, Ryan, were opposed to its building or were undecided, The airport, as proposed in June 2013, would be located in

6864-494: The late 1960s, the federal government (which then owned and operated all major Canadian airports) studied expanding Malton Airport (now Toronto Pearson International Airport) to accommodate the tremendous growth in air passenger traffic anticipated in the coming decades. Strong local-community opposition to Malton's expansion caused the government to decide instead, in December 1968, to build a second Toronto airport. An Airport Planning Team spent 1969 evaluating nearly 60 sites within

6968-759: The local economy." The second largest industry is Educational services, accounting for 11.3%. Guelph is very attractive to the agri-food and biotechnology market sector, according to the city. It was ranked as the top cluster in Ontario and one of the top two in Canada. This sector includes over 90 companies in Guelph-Wellington, employing approximately 6,500 people. The City encourages movie and television filming. Parts of several productions have been filmed here, including Agnes of God (1985), American Gods (released in 2017), 11.22.63 (2016) with James Franco, Total Recall (2012), Dream House (2011), The Heretics (2017), Dead Rush (2016) and episodes of Murdoch Mysteries (2013 and 2015). As part of

7072-404: The local residents. The 1974 Gibson inquiry did review the process and found "No new evidence to suggest that Pickering site was not appropriate" (pp. 29–32, Airport Inquiry Commission, Justice Hugh Gibson). Local residents and several newspapers disagreed. It was claimed that In June 1971, a federal Department of Transport team, having visited the Pickering site with a consultant, reported that

7176-423: The lowest in Canada at that time. The overall economy of the Guelph "region" (including the city and the townships of Guelph/Eramosa and Puslinch, Ontario ) grew at an average of 3.5% per year over the previous five years and was expected to be 2.1% in 2019 and also in 2020 according to the Conference Board of Canada 's August 2019 report. Guelph's real gross domestic product (GDP) grew by 3.6% per cent in 2018,

7280-421: The lowest of all Canadian cities. (The national rate at the time was 5.8%. ) Much of this was attributed to its numerous manufacturing facilities, including Linamar . First Nations peoples inhabited present-day Guelph as early as 11,000 years ago. Before colonization, the area was considered by the surrounding Indigenous communities to be a "neutral" zone and was inhabited by the Neutral Nation . According to

7384-407: The nickname The Royal City . The directors of the Canada Company had actually wanted the city to be named Goderich, because Viscount Goderich had helped form the company, but reluctantly accepted the name Guelph. Galt constructed what was one of the first buildings in the community to house early settlers and the Canada Company office; "The Priory" (built 1827–1828). was located on the banks of

7488-458: The north-central part of Pickering, directly northeast of Toronto and about 65 km (40 mi) east of Toronto Pearson International Airport. The airport landing approach surfaces, as currently zoned, would have aircraft flying a centre line just north of Markham , and just south of Stouffville onto runways 10L and 10R, west of Uxbridge, over part of Ajax onto runway 32, and over part of north Whitby onto runway 28R and 28L. The remnants of

7592-489: The older building, which was declared a National Historic Site in 1984. The national document refers to the historic building as being "in the Italian Renaissance Revival style". Two very successful major mills operated in Guelph for many years in the 1800s. The first was Allan's Mill , first established in 1830 on the Speed River and significantly expanded to include a distillery by the next owners,

7696-505: The plan to increase development, City Council voted in late 2017 to buy 98 hectares (240 acres) south of York Road owned by the Provincial government, including part of the property of the former Wellington Detention Centre. After the acquisition, the city would seek one or more developers to buy the property. The land actually purchased was only 23% of the long-term plan for development in the entire site bounded by Watson Parkway South,

7800-531: The plan. The facility was opened in the autumn of the year at 40 Baker Street. A redevelopment plan for Downtown Guelph had been discussed by Council since 2007 and was finalized as the 2018 Baker District redevelopment project. The intent is to transform the Baker St. parking lot and properties fronting Wyndham Street's north end into a mixed-use development, with urban intensification. Both residential and commercial buildings will be included. The final cost

7904-520: The proposal. As part of the same motion, Council voted unanimously to renew the city's support for a station near Green River in north Pickering for the federal government's proposed high-frequency rail line along the Quebec City–Windsor corridor . The agricultural land on the remaining Pickering Lands continues to be farmed by tenants. The selection process of the site for the new airport was controversial as all candidate locations were opposed by

8008-696: The same time was also of great value to the community. At the time, the BMO economist also rated Guelph as the top city in Canada for those looking for work. Over subsequent months, the rate increased steadily and the jobless rate was at a more typical 5.9% by October 2017, compared to 5.1% in Kitchener-Waterloo. The rate in June 2018 had decreased to 4.5%. By December 2018, StatsCan was indicating an unemployment rate of only 2.3%, down from 4% in November, and

8112-456: The shelving of the project in 1975, the federal government has commissioned a number of studies to assess future aviation needs in southern Ontario. The most recent study was announced in April 2023. The potential future airport site currently measures approximately 3,521 hectares (8,700 acres). The site continues to be leased to private tenants for residential, commercial, and agricultural use. In

8216-576: The site by Metropolitan Toronto". Well into the 1970s, the Department of Transport remained adamant that Malton could not be expanded, citing noise and safety concerns. However, there were also political reasons behind the federal government's wish to build a second airport. Representatives of the local anti-airport protest group, People or Planes, meeting in Ottawa in 1972 with Transport Minister Jean Marchand, were told by him that he did not want to be

8320-542: The site, including a future airport, and would report back to the government within 12 months. Meanwhile, Transport Canada would assess future aviation needs across the Greater Golden Horseshoe to determine if there was a business case for a future airport. On July 18, 2015, Transport Canada released a draft of revised Pickering Airport Site Zoning Regulations for the retained lands, to ensure that development on surrounding lands remained compatible with

8424-399: The site. A similar major land expropriation had taken place in 1969, north of Montreal, for Montréal–Mirabel International Airport . Phase I of Mirabel opened in 1975, the same year that construction on the Pickering project was stopped. The federal government retained its ownership of the lands expropriated for the Pickering airport, reserving the option to revive the project at some point in

8528-463: The south border of the city and Victoria Road South. The city decided in late 2018 not to purchase the additional land for economic reasons. In 2019, the remaining 362 acres of Ontario government land was listed for sale by the province. According to the Bank of Montreal 's fourth quarter 2018 report, Guelph was the leading city in Canada in terms of job growth and low unemployment. In January 2019,

8632-438: The study, arguing that "the process to implement a new airport at Pickering should be well underway right now". Transport Action Ontario, in its own response to the study report, questioned some of the study's claims and suggested that, in lieu of building a new airport, "higher-speed, electrified rail" would be a "far superior alternative" for much of the short-haul traffic currently handled by Pearson Airport. On June 11, 2013,

8736-574: The turn of the century ranged from 25 million to 198 million. The federal government's plans for Malton and Pickering were ultimately based on an anticipated 60 million to 96 million passengers through Toronto by 2000. In 2000, Toronto Pearson International processed about 28 million passengers. By 2003, owing to international crises, that number had dropped to just over 24 million but climbed again to 32.3 million passengers in 2008, with an average of 1,179 "aircraft movements" per day. By 2014, passenger numbers had climbed to nearly 39 million, about 62% of

8840-418: The village suffered and some residents moved away; relief came in the form of wealthy immigrants from England and Ireland who arrived in 1832. The Smith's Canadian Gazetteer of 1846 indicates that the town had a jail and court house made of cut stone, a weekly newspaper, five churches/chapels and a population of 1,240; most were from England and Scotland with a few from Ireland. In addition to many tradesmen,

8944-610: The west, in Beverly Township , near Hamilton , followed immediately by the second one in the east, in Pickering Township. A third airport – a large 6,000–8,000 hectare (15,000–20,000 acre) international airport – would be built later, at an undetermined location. In December 1971, the province told the federal government that it could not afford to service both a Beverly and a Pickering site and that it had committed funds to build sewer and water facilities only to

9048-409: The work is determined, Transport Canada will post a second Request for Proposals, seeking a third-party contractor to undertake the study as well as the consultation. The analysis, including "engagement with local stakeholders, the provincial and municipal governments, and Indigenous peoples" will be a first step towards "making a final decision on future airport capacity constraints in the region, and on

9152-707: The “long history of strong local opposition to an airport, which had not appeared to decrease over time. There is strong support for Pickering Airport from COPA flight 44 Canadian Owners and Pilots Association also known as the Buttonville Flying Club. Both the Friends of Pickering Airport and an older 2011 privately funded proposal to build a not for profit Airpark in Pickering originated from this General Aviation community. This community of pilots supports keeping all nearby airports open including Buttonville, Oshawa and Markham. The Markham Airport, home to

9256-634: Was Queen Elizabeth's Coronation in 1953. Other news-making items include the fact that the jockstrap was invented here, in 1922, by the Guelph Elastic Hosiery Company and that the man who invented five pin bowling in 1909, Tom Ryan, was originally from Guelph. Other noteworthy items: the city's covered bridge (now part of a walking trail), built by the Timber Framers' Guild in 1992, is one of only two of its type in Ontario, using wooden pins to hold it together. Note too that

9360-693: Was St. George's Day , the feast day of the patron saint of England . The name Guelph comes, via the Italian Guelfo , from the Bavarian Welf . It is a reference to the House of Welf , and was chosen to honour King George IV —the reigning British monarch at the time of the city's founding—whose family, the Hanoverians , descended from the Welfs. It is for this reason that the city has

9464-602: Was also served soon thereafter by the Great Western Railway branch from Harrisburg. In 1856, the village became a town. Two years later, the population was estimated at 4,500, up from 2,000 in 1853. The first city hall, now called the Old City Hall (Guelph) , was built in 1856 of Guelph stone; the building contained a market house, offices and an assembly hall. Modifications were made in 1870, 1875 and 1961. The new Guelph City Hall opened in 2009 beside

9568-473: Was completed in 1875, at the cost of $ 9,869, and opened on August 16, 1875, with 12 beds, a small infectious room and a dispensary. The Gothic Revival style Roman Catholic church on Norfolk St., called the Basilica of Our Lady Immaculate since December 8, 2014, was built between 1876 and 1888. By 1869, the community's manufacturing companies were served by both the Grand Trunk Railway and

9672-475: Was completely excavated in 1975 and 1978 in anticipation of the airport's construction. Guelph Guelph ( / ˈ ɡ w ɛ l f / GWELF ; 2021 Canadian Census population 143,740) is a city in Southwestern Ontario , Canada. Known as The Royal City, it is roughly 22 km (14 mi) east of Kitchener and 70 km (43 mi) west of Downtown Toronto , at

9776-588: Was constructed in 1866 by James Goldie, replacing an earlier mill known as the Wellington Mill and later as the People's Mill. The property, a ruin, was listed on the Canadian Register as a historic place in 2009. Goldie was a perennial Conservative candidate for the riding of Wellington South , and his son Thomas Goldie was mayor of Guelph from 1891 to 1892. The limestone Goldie mill structure

9880-651: Was damaged by fire in 1953 and a part of it was removed in 1969; the remaining part still stands today, in Goldie Mill Park at Cardigan Street and London Road East. The ruins, owned by the Grand River Conservation Authority , were stabilized in 2019–2021 to solve a problem created by sinkholes. The board of the Guelph General Hospital was incorporated in 1861, with James Massie as the chairman. The building

9984-408: Was earmarked for economic development. The Harper government 's announcement also reaffirmed the federal government’s intention to hold land on the site for a future airport, stating that the needs assessment study's conclusion was that the airport would be needed within the 2027–2037 time-frame. On April 1, 2015, Transport Canada transferred to Parks Canada a total of 1,911 hectares (4,722 acres) of

10088-450: Was estimated at between $ 315 million and $ 369 million. When finished, this area will include a new library, commercial, institutional and office space as well as an underground parking lot. The private enterprise partner for the project is Ottawa-based Windmill Development Group; there was also discussion about an additional partnership with Conestoga College and the YMCA . Actual construction

10192-408: 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. Despite later attempts by the federal government to revive the project, construction activities never resumed, and no operator was selected. There has been local opposition to an airport from the day of the original announcement. Since

10296-692: Was moved in 1900 to the Annex building behind the court house. Also in 1827, the first Guelph Farmers' Market was built; the Market House was located in the downtown area. Founded in 1827, James Hodgert's brewery was managed by John Sleeman until he bought a property and opened the Silver Creek Brewery in 1851. (In 1843, there were nine breweries serving the 700 people living in Guelph.) The first Board of Commerce also started in 1827, to stimulate economic growth; in 1866, it would be renamed

10400-667: Was not expected to start until 2023. Before that date, up to $ 7.5 million will be spent to acquire the rest of the land that will be required. In October 2018, the Ontario Energy Board approved the merger of Guelph Hydro and Alectra Utilities Corporation. After the merger was completed in January 2019, the city received a 4.63 per cent stake in Alectra and a one-time dividend of $ 18.5 million; afterwards, annual dividends would be received. The city has one permanent seat on

10504-439: Was not the case. The Pickering site was chosen because it was the only site left in the provincially preferred area east of Toronto, after Lake Scugog had been disqualified for being too far out, too costly to develop, too important a recreational area to disrupt, and too prone to poor weather. The Lake Scugog site had also been described as "unfavourable, as the majority of users, as well as Malton airport itself, are separated from

10608-416: Was responsible for finding settlers for the 42,000 acre Halton Block that would become Guelph and its townships but also for the one million acre Huron Tract that stretched to Goderich, Ontario .) By the fall of 1827, 70 houses had been built, though some were primitive. In that year, the community had hired its first police constable; the first police station would be opened in 1856 at the town hall and it

10712-516: Was submitted to Transport Canada in March 2010. After a "due diligence review", Transport Canada released the report to the public on July 11, 2011. The study concluded that an additional airport would be needed "but it is not expected to be required before 2027 and possibly not before 2037". The study recommended that the federal government "retain and protect the site, thereby preserving the option of building an airport, if and when required". In 2010,

10816-572: Was −37.2 °C (−35.0 °F) on January 25, 1884. The city of Guelph's diversified economy helped Guelph obtain the country's lowest unemployment rate at 4.2 per cent in 2011 and at 3.9 per cent in February 2016. The great diversity in the types of employers is a significant factor too; the city is not dependent on a single industry. The workforce participation rate of 72% was the best in Canada in December 2015 according to BMO senior economist Robert Kavcic. The job growth of more than 9 per cent at

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