A note to a lovelorn airport
July 6, 2010
Well, there are just 24 days until Edmonton’s Municipal Airport is done. That day can’t come soon enough. The debate has gone on long enough. Now, there’s a shit-load of money behind the desperate movement to stop it from closing. I hope to hell they fail. This little airport has to go. It’s time to move into the future…I sent this letter to the Edmonton Journal this morning. I promise my next post will be about writing, or gardening, or poetry….enough politics, eh!!!!
Dear Municipal Airport,
I realize this is hard for you but you keep hanging on, you keep writing letters about how you think our relationship can still work, but honey, I’m done with you. I’m sorry, it just doesn’t work anymore. I used to love you but I’ve grown, and you haven’t. And now you’ve started a petition to force us to stay together. I’m so sick and tired of talking about this. We’ve been through how many marriage councilors? You really have to let this go. I know. I know. Break-ups are hard. But you have to move on. You keep bringing up the same old arguments about how people will die if we break up – and how all the businesses in Edmonton will close if we break up – and you even tried to tell me that if it were easier to get Edmontonians to Calgary by way of your runways then more direct flights would land at Edmonton’s International airport. Seriously?! And you recently called the proposed development of your land “sprawl”!! Sprawl is when we expand outward. This is in-fill. It’s actually good to develop land in the middle of a city. All the services are there. The LRT will be there. Honey, you need help – professional help. You’re holding me back. I haven’t grown to the heights I could have because of you. And I have a bigger, better airport not too far down the road. In fact, the way I’m growing, my city limits will be there soon. Once you’re gone, I’ll be able to focus on my big airport. And, as you know, I have big plans for the space you’re occupying. Please don’t make me get a restraining order, honey. Leave me alone and let’s move on with our lives. I’ve started a Facebook group called “The Edmonton alliance to quickly kill the Municipal Airport.” I may even start a petition to stop your petition. This has gone on long enough, Muni. I’ll always remember you but this is good-bye.
Love
the city of Edmonton
5 Comments
1. L.M. Gilbert had this to say: Jul 07, 2010 ~ 17:20 ~ #
How old are you? Do you have monetary interest in the destruction? Where did you take your English and history courses? Just want to know. Where did all the hostility come from?
2. Thomas had this to say: Jul 07, 2010 ~ 21:01 ~ #
I’m not sure that my age has anything to do with an airport that shouldn’t be there. And I just happen to think it’s time for that little aiport in the middle of my city to go. Oh, what the hell; you set me up — In English, the airport needs to be history. Ha! I’m not hostile. I’m right. City council was right.
3. Thomas had this to say: Jul 07, 2010 ~ 21:02 ~ #
I’m a little irritated that this thing is dragging on and on and on. Don’t get me wrong. I love airplanes and I think the history of the Muni ought to be honoured — and I think it will be. It’s actually pretty cool. I know this decision will hurt some businesses and some might not survive….but the needs of the many, in this case a whole city, outweigh the needs of the few…Oh I know I won’t sway you. I know you probably love the airport in the middle of the city and don’t really care about the thousands of Edmontonians under the flight path of those rich boy-toys, corporate jets and so on…And you don’t even think about how different this city might look today had it not been for restricted building heights because of…well you know the rest. Trust me, nothing I write here will make a difference to what happens. There are a billion blogs out there. This is just one…I thought it was a fun letter….For the record, I have nothing to gain, or lose, monetarily, by the re-development of the land where the airport used to be. I trust you do?
4. Dolly Dennis had this to say: Jul 10, 2010 ~ 01:24 ~ #
Loved your letter Thomas. It was catchy and original and I totally agree with you. It’s time for that airport to go; time for all the wealthy boys to go play with their planes somewhere else; time for Edmonton to grow up. No plane should ever be allowed to fly over a city population. It seems to take years to make a decision in this city. I’m still waiting for that Ukrainian museum to be built on Jasper. When I arrived here from Montreal in 1993, I remember saying that Edmonton reminded me of 1955 Montreal before EXPO 67. The movers and doers here have to decide if they want to grow up or stay safe and, ho hum, in their comfort zone. Now I think I went off track and I’ll probably get hell!
5. thomas had this to say: Aug 03, 2010 ~ 12:49 ~ #
Well, they closed on runway today. Today is August 3, 2010. I can only hope that it stays closed. I repect the right of the “let’s keep this airport open” folks to try and do what they need to do to halt this closure but there comes a time…when you have to let go.
Love the leter in the Journal today, written by a guy from St. Albert…who seems to have an interest in Edmonton’s old Muni lands. He talks about the 84 years of contamination and how it’s going to cost money to clean it up. He wants to just leave the polution where it is — ignore it — carry on with an airport. First of all, it’s none of St. Albert’s business. Second, I say it’s time to clean up that land. Find the businesses who are responsible and get them to clean it up. But stop ignoring it and clean it up. Move forward.