Pie In The Sky Hits Us In The Face

Way to go Edgar (aka Eddie) and President & CEO, Windsor International Airport, Ms Nazzani.

That's showing 'em! Now we are on the world's stage again just in time for the big news from the Monopoly announcement.

Hey now we can say

• "Windsor Airport currently offers direct flights to Toronto, Cuba and Pelee Island --the latter two only in winter -- but the sky could soon be the limit. Add on one daily flight to Calgary from May 31 to Oct. 30 and things are really humming."

By the way, whatever happened to those Mexicana flights?

• "Mexicana Airlines has agreed to revive its Mexico-to-Windsor charter to facilitate the quick transfer of migrant workers coming from Mexico to Essex County."

Now I am being positive and a big civic booster so lay off me!

However, one small item Edgar forgot to tell us. How much is this all costing us. Ms Nazzani at Council in one of her presentations told us that carriers need incentives. Small airports in the US often throw money at carriers to get them to have an operation at their airport. Here is something I saw about that:

Sure looks to me as if we will be paying a lot for a 3 month air service for 3 years so we can make it easier for Edgar to send our best and brightest out West to work and ultimately to move their families away from here.

No wonder the City had to pay for the $100K for the Luftahnsa study. I wonder if the airport has any money left in the bank after Westjet negotiated its deal. Now Air Canada will want to renegotiate too as will the carrier to Pelee Island.

Speaking of the airport, I have a small problem. Perhaps someone could straighten me out. I thought we wanted a cargo village here:

• "Windsor Airport is ideally situated to cash in on the "remarkable business forces and competition" surrounding a growing demand for air cargo services, say the German consultants hired by the city.
  
  Essex County growers forced to truck their specialty produce across the border to reach air freight services not available locally are among the business interests likely to jump at the chance to use a local air cargo facility, the consultants say...
  
  With other regional airports -- notably London and Hamilton -- actively pursuing the same business, Mayor Eddie Francis said he wants Windsor to move fast on the next phase, developing an actual business plan with an outline of what facilities are required."

I wish that Edgar had told Jeff Watson about his plans. Jeff said he talked to Edgar the same day he was interviewed by John Fairley on Face-To-Face recently. They did not talk about a cargo village but about a maintenance and repair station here.

Huh, where did that idea come from? How much will it cost to build repair hangars for 747s and Airbuses? Who wants those other teeny-weeny planes for our world-class airport repair shop.

Jeff told us that we were not going to have air freighters land here as in London but it would be a truck based air freight business. That is what Lufthansa said too but that has not really been picked up now has it.

Now do you get it? Now you know WHY Edgar will agree to upgrade E C Row to the Ambassador Bridge and will flopflop on his opposition to trucks on the Expressway. Now we know why we needed to retain Lufthansa. They will do the dirty deed about talking about the need to expand the road, not Edgar. Edgar will be "forced" to go along with what the world's expert says must be done. What else can he say if we are to create jobs, jobs, jobs..

No wonder the Province through Sandra threw in $200K. They get rid of Greenlink that way.

Heck, if Edgar wanted a truck based cargo hub, he should have contacted Matty Moroun. He knows something about that business and could have helped out.