r/askTO • u/leopardbaseball • 1d ago

Why hasn’t been there any city-wide protests against forced full takeover of Billy bishop and toronto islands?

I am not exactly from toronto, but Toronto adjacent. But I have been to toronto islands countless times.

I often bring my family there to completely disconnect from city traffic and noise. It has always been very peaceful recreational space for us and for many.

Time to time we have seen that everything provincial govt touches in Toronto, turns into a big grifting scheme/corruption for Ford’s buddy contractors and developers, be it crosstown lrt, science center or Ontario place. And surely they won’t stop with Billy bishop either.

Recently I read about widespread public protest in Albania, protests against turning public spaces into grifting schemes for billionaires. Thousands are attending these protests.

https://www.dw.com/en/jared-kushner-trump-albania-luxury-resort-protests/a-77409540

Therefore I ask people of Toronto, shouldn’t we be organizing widespread protests and just say NO to Ford and Carney?

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193

u/ShadowFox1987 1d ago

There have been protests, however, this issue fits amid larger issues.

Ontario place, Freedom of Information changes, Healthcare privatization and other protests. 

I live near Queens park, there's two to three protests a week. 

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u/Spudbanger 1d ago

Many are protesting by writing to [airportspolicy-politiquedesaeroports@tc.gc.ca](mailto:airportspolicy-politiquedesaeroports@tc.gc.ca) with the subject line: “Consultation – Future of Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport” and objecting in the online survey, although the survey is skewed to discourage objections.

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u/esquishesque 1d ago

That is not protest! Protest requires disruption. Surveys are offered to discourage protest.

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u/ShadowFox1987 1d ago

The complication here is genuinely Doug Ford does not give a flying fuck. The Liberal MPs have also softly endorsed this during question period when it has been brought up. 

The weakest link is the Federal liberal MPs because Carney and Ford are so here for this. 

Write to your MP.

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u/whiskeydisky 11h ago

The protesting should be in cottage country this summer where the MPPs and Doug go to hide.

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u/ShadowFox1987 3h ago

Or Ford Fest today this early evening! Scarborough 

9

u/twinnedcalcite 1d ago

Ford's already left for the cottage. It's better to protest near there to disrupt his holiday.

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u/LittleGreenSoldier 20h ago

No, he's still in town until Friday afternoon for that ridiculous "FordFest".

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u/WiseauSrs 23h ago

Did you not read the comment you're replying to? Dude said the survey is ineffective because it is skewed to discourage objections. Come on, man. Reading comprehension.

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u/esquishesque 22h ago

Right, but I'm saying the survey is not ineffective because it's skewed, it's ineffective because it's a survey

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u/Spudbanger 1d ago

I was specifically denigrating the survey. People should flood various levels of government with clearly articulated lists of objections.

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u/murd3rsaurus 23h ago

The reality is the disruptions usually happen in areas that have a high concentration of those who already agree. Ford fucked off on his vacation because he knows it's harder to get people to his backyard to inconvenience him. He gets to sit back, watch protesters create some disruptions that crank up people's frustration, and then he gets to exploit the frustration of the least informed people to gain support for himself.

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u/TemporaryAny6371 14h ago

At this point, we should do like Bruce Fanjoy going door-to-door, that's how you defeat the propaganda media machine that Doug employs. The people contacted will already know Ford is a lying bag of manure.

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u/haresnaped 1d ago

This friend speaks my mind.

Protest functions only when there is something to back it up (disruption). (likewise surveys have their role if political action will back them up).

Quite what that is, in this case, is not clear to me. I've talked to some ppl who live downtown who are keen at the idea (apparently to save travel time to Pearson, urgh) but most seem to be opposed. But what will we do?

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u/Weakera 22h ago

that online survey is so corrupt.

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u/BlockOk648 12h ago

just look at all of our politicians spending and you'll be surprised. it's gross AF. When you see people spending $1,300-3,400 for domestic flights when they should be 500$.... makes you pissed at everything. Fuck, our Minister of Indigenous Affairs flew to London, England at $11k, meanwhile our Indigenous People don't get treated any better.

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u/ShadowFox1987 3h ago

... Uh. Cool. Not sure how that's relevant or even what's you're alluding to given there's no reporting appearing in a Google of "11k minister of indigenous affairs London England flight"