Airport wants Ramara to sell road allowance to make way for new runway

Orillia Rama Regional Airport

‘If we went ahead and did this, there would be a lot of disappointed residents,’ says councillor

By: Nathan Taylor Orillia Matters

The Orillia Rama Regional Airport wants to add a second runway, but it needs the Township of Ramara to sell an unopened road allowance to make it possible.

Ramara council heard from airport owner Clayton Smith during a virtual council meeting this week. He has provided a written request to purchase the road allowance — an extension of Airport Road that extends east into a woodlot after the first bend, going toward Bluebird Street.

The plan is to create a 4,000-foot runway that would prevent planes from landing and taking off over homes in the area.

“A big part of the objective of this new runway is there isn’t any conflict with, like there is now, going over people’s homes,” Smith said of the existing, 3,000-foot runway.

When asked if the plan was to allow for jets and larger planes to land at the airport, Smith said it wasn’t.

“The intention is none of that, really. I’m a big believer in ‘do what you do best’ and we’ve always been a great float base and small aviation plane maintenance shop… and that’s the intention for the future,” he said, noting small jets land on the existing runway only six to 12 times per season.

Having a runway with an additional 1,000 feet is “just more of a comfort thing” for pilots, he said, especially would-be pilots at the airport’s flight school.

Interest in the flight school has “taken off” in recent years, Smith said. It’s just one way the airport has grown.

Smith purchased the airport, next to Lake St. John, in 2017. There were 16 employees at the time. Now there are 114 and “the momentum isn’t slowing down,” he told council.

“All these things, I think, are exciting for the community as a whole — the natural growth of an operation like this, the community benefit, financially,” he said.

Council was to receive Smith’s presentation as information and ask staff to prepare a report to see if the township had any potential future use for the road allowance before deciding whether to declare it surplus.

Coun. David Snutch wanted to ensure public feedback would be included in that report because residents have raised concerns about the project.

“I would like the scope of the staff report to include their comments… or maybe even have a public meeting prior to preparing the report,” he said.

Deputy Mayor Joe Gough immediately shook his head in disagreement.

“Joe, don’t shake your head. I’m not finished yet,” Snutch told him.

“I don’t see the purpose of a staff report to determine if we have any future use for the land because I think somebody could do that in two seconds,” Snutch continued. “We don’t have any plans for the land and everybody knows that. So, this should be a bigger scope as to how it’s going to affect the community.

“Right now, if we went ahead and did this, there would be a lot of disappointed residents because their concerns have not been answered yet.”

Mayor Basil Clarke told Snutch that was a “political decision” and that staff deal in facts. He said residents will have an opportunity to provide feedback.

Clerk Jennifer Connor said Ramara would have to provide notice to the public if the township declares the road allowance surplus. There would then be the opportunity for public feedback. Council could decide at that time to hold a public meeting, but it would not be required, she added.

Staff will report back at a later date.