By Liam Casey and Allison Jones

Ontario will declare Toronto's island airport the province's first special economic zone as it takes over land owned by the city, Premier Doug Ford said Monday in a move opposed by the mayor.

This is the latest development in the Ford government's push for an expansion of Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport to include jets.

Ford said the "lefties" at city hall are in the way of expanding the island airport, which he called a "crown jewel for economic growth."

"This is long overdue, and this is the exact reason we're doing it," Ford said. "They don't want to create more jobs. They don't want to create economic development, they don't want to create a competitive environment and convenience for the people of Toronto."

Ford said the province will take over the City of Toronto's spot in the tripartite agreement that governs the land. That agreement is currently between the city, the federal government and the Toronto Port Authority, which is a federal agency.

"Torontonians must have a say over the future of their waterfront," said Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow in a statement. 

"Unilateral action to grab city land without consulting Torontonians is not acceptable to people."

Chow called on the federal and provincial governments to be transparent about its plans for the airport and "the impact it will have on how we enjoy our waterfront, downtown congestion, plans to build more housing and our film sector."

Ford said the province will provide "fair compensation" to the city for the transaction and for operating costs.

This is the first time the Ford government has declared a so-called "special economic zone" in the province.  

The government passed Bill 5 last year, which included the controversial special economic zone provision that allows the province to suspend provincial and municipal laws for a given project.

Ford said last year he intended to declare the Ring of Fire, the proposed mining region in northern Ontario, a special economic zone.

Documents unearthed through freedom-of-information laws from Energy and Mines Minister Stephen Lecce's office showed the province originally intended to make the Ring of Fire the first such zone. 

But significant protests from the vast majority of First Nations, who were deeply opposed to the new law and saw it as a trampling of their treaty rights, caused the Ford government to pause.

A few weeks ago, Ford said he didn't need a special economic zone in the region after the province came to agreements with a few First Nations and the federal government to move ahead with building a road to the Ring of Fire. The proposed road that is set to begin construction this year will also connect several remote fly-in First Nations to the provincial highway system.

But the Billy Bishop airport designation is different, Ford said, because of city council.

"They don't want to build anything, nothing, leave the airport, let's be last place in everything," Ford said. "That is the mentality of the left."

NDP Leader Marit Stiles said the move is nothing but a power grab and a distraction technique.

"I think this is an example of exactly what we feared the government would do using those extra powers that they've given themselves, is to meddle once again in areas that they have no jurisdiction over," Stiles said.

Ford is not focusing on the issues that matter to Ontarians, said Liberal parliamentary Leader John Fraser. The new law is really just designed to give Ford more power, he said.

"It was all just a bill to enable the premier to do whatever he wanted, wherever he wanted, whenever he wanted," Fraser said.

Ford did not say which laws he intends to suspend for the island airport expansion, but said the province takes environmental issues "seriously."

"So we're going to use all cautions, but we're gonna move forward," Ford said. 

"Last time I checked out there, that's a pretty big lake, and a few thousand feet aren't gonna disturb too many things."'

Green Party Leader Mike Schreiner took issue with that.

"We don't want additional air pollution," he said. "We don't want additional noise pollution, but the premier doesn't seem to care."

(C) The Canadian Press