Ontario Construction News staff writer
Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport has selected Pomerleau as construction manager for facilities work associated with building a United States Customs and Border Protection (US CBP) Preclearance by 2025.
“Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport is a critical hub for those traveling for business or pleasure throughout North America,” Sean Smithson, Pomerleau’s Toronto regional vice-president said in a statement. “Pomerleau is pleased to be delivering this project with our partner Alstef Canada, who will implement the baggage handling system, with mobilization plans well underway.
“Construction will start mid-July and we look forward to this best-in-class facility going live by fall 2025.”
“We are pleased to welcome Pomerleau and Alstef Canada to the implementation team, and recognize this important milestone in bringing US Preclearance to Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport in late 2025,” said R.J. Steenstra, president and CEO, PortsToronto, the airport’s owner/operator. “As the 5th-busiest Canadian airport serving the US, Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport is ideally positioned to offer US Preclearance and anticipates significant enhancements to passenger experience, destination offering, and economic impact as a result of the introduction of this service.”
“I would like to once again thank the Federal Government for its commitment to the long-term future of Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport, and its investment of $30 million in capital funding to make US Preclearance a reality. We look forward to continued collaboration with all levels of government to ensure Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport remains a vital piece of transportation infrastructure and an economic driver for Toronto and the surrounding region well into the future.”
Beyond increased efficiency and choice for US-bound passengers, US CBP Preclearance could increase tourism and business activities, boost employment, and strengthen ties between the United States and Canada.
The benefits of Preclearance have been demonstrated at 15 airports around the world, and recent research by York Aviation indicates that Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport has the potential for $5.3 billion in economic output through the increased aviation activity
“Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport connects our city to key North American markets, international investment, and tourism, currently generating $2.1 billion in GDP. It is a vital part of this city’s transportation infrastructure, one that will only grow in importance as we welcome FIFA, the WNBA and other new opportunities in the coming years,” said Giles Gherson, president and CEO, Toronto Region Board of Trade. “Today’s news demonstrates exciting progress in delivering this much-needed Preclearance facility—another step forward to support the airport’s continued success and downtown’s ongoing economic recovery.”