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Decentralized Democracy

House Hansard - 252

44th Parl. 1st Sess.
November 21, 2023 10:00AM
Context: House Hansard - 252 - Nov/21/23
The Assistant Deputy Speaker (Mrs. Alexandra Mendès)
  • Nov/21/23 11:46:19 a.m.
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I believe we now have quorum. The hon. member for Kingston and the Islands may proceed.
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Context: House Hansard - 252 - Nov/21/23
Mr. Mark Gerretsen
  • Nov/21/23 12:07:58 p.m.
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Madam Speaker, Kingston has had an airport since World War II. It continues to operate today. Absolutely, there are always concerns. One of the challenges for Kingston, which other people see as a benefit, is that it is located two hours from Ottawa, two hours from Toronto and two hours from Montreal. The member said he flew through Kingston, and I do not understand that; one is either arriving or leaving to go to one of those other spots. However, the point is that while we have what might be seen as a detriment to Kingston, in terms of our airport, we also have the fourth-busiest train station in the country. People might not expect that of Kingston, but it is the case because of our proximity to the other cities I just mentioned. In Kingston's case, it makes more sense for the average traveller to take the train, for example, from Kingston to downtown Toronto, jump on the train to Pearson, and then fly out of there. There are some people who still prefer to fly right out of Kingston, but the options are not as great as they are for some other small regional airports. We have challenges, and I want this framework in place so that some of those challenges could be dealt with. That is what the framework is all about.
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