Pearson Airport in Mississauga helps protect nearby creek area and its wildlife
Published May 2, 2022 at 1:34 pm
Pearson Airport in Mississauga is devoting some attention to an often forgotten part of the airport environment: the environment itself.
Runway maintenance/repair, departing and arriving flights, aircraft noise, keeping tens of thousands of passengers moving smoothly through the terminals and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic keep Pearson officials and workers busy the vast majority of the time.
But the Etobicoke Creek Watershed, comprised of the creek and surrounding ravine, is situated to the immediate west of the airport and its 4,600 acres (seven square miles) of property.
And it needs much attention as well.
As such, Pearson Airport is working with Toronto and Region Conservation Authority (TRCA) to protect and restore the huge watershed area, home to all kinds of natural beauty and wildlife.
The TRCA is in the process of developing a new watershed plan “that will use the latest science and data to inform municipal land use and infrastructure planning,” the conservation authority says.
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Pearson Airport officials are helping with the effort, and both they and the TRCA are urging members of the public to come forward with their input.
An online survey (see link above) and two webinars (May 5, from 7 to 8 p.m., and May 9, from 10 to 11 a.m.) are among ways the public is invited to participate.
We’re collaborating with @TRCA_HQ in taking steps to protect and restore the Etobicoke Creek Watershed. If you live or work near the watershed, share your feedback on future planning: https://t.co/cPF9ryh002 pic.twitter.com/90OTpw7DK5
— Pearson Corporate / Entreprise Pearson (@PearsonComms) May 2, 2022
Officials with the Greater Toronto Airports Authority (GTAA), which runs Pearson Airport, say that in addition to smaller creatures like mice, frogs, turtles, squirrels, snakes, mink, groundhogs, rabbits, raccoons, beavers, muskrats and skunks, you’ll also come across larger wildlife including red foxes, coyotes and deer in and around the creek area.
Additionally, Pearson officials say, some 20 different species of birds also call the airport area home.
A GTAA spokesperson said earlier that to keep the airfield clear of animals, they use a combination of active and passive wildlife management techniques.
