Doug Ford is taking over Toronto's waterfront and people are fed up

Ontario Premier Doug Ford's Tuesday announcement that the province intends to take full control of Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport is just the latest in a string of moves from the province that have people concerned about the future of Toronto's waterfront.

Currently managed through a 1983 tripartite agreement between the City of Toronto, the Toronto Port Authority, and the federal government, Ford's plan would place the Island airport under provincial jurisdiction.

Ford has also outlined plans to move forward with a controversial plan to expand the airport's runway to accommodate jets, following a recent announcement about the new U.S. border checkpoint at Billy Bishop to speed up customs processing for travellers.

The news joins a flurry of provincial pet projects on the waterfront.

In late February, the Ford government announced that it is moving forward with a $1.04 billion replacement for the Ontario Science Centre that was summarily shuttered in 2024. The new Science Centre would join the already contentious redevelopment of Ontario Place, which will be built out with a private megaspa.

Just days earlier, Ford pitched a massive "shock and awe" convention centre, after calling the existing Metro Toronto Convention Centre "terrible" in the media.

The latest additions to this wave of costly projects have residents in a fury, with many upset that the provincial government is increasingly asserting control over Toronto's waterfront, leaving no room for local input.

One user on X raised concern that Ford is sidelining Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow in these decisions.

for someone who is suppose to be the PREMIER OF ONTARIO, he sure love to act like the mayor of Toronto

— TianTianTian (@KwokHoTong1) March 10, 2026

Another user on X questioned where exactly all this funding is coming from.

For a man that told us money doesn’t grow on trees it’s really looking like it is growing on trees

— B̴B̴3̴ (@0xBB3) March 10, 2026

While an Ontario premier has the powers to intervene in municipal affairs (as evidenced a number of times by Ford), some users raised questions about how a provincial leader can exert such control over city affairs.

How is it possible for him to do that? Is it legal?
This 'King' mentality he has needs to be stopped. This isn’t about 'building Ontario' it’s about control and spending out of control.

— Hugh Sturdy 🇨🇦 (@SturdyHugh) March 10, 2026

Others are not reminding Ford about key areas they say need the Premier's attention more than flashy new buildings and longer runways.

How about properly funding healthcare and education?

— overburn (@overburn) March 10, 2026

Over on Reddit, people are expressing the same type of concerns. 

"For a guy who loves privatizing things like healthcare and education, he sure likes taking over a lot of things," wrote one user.

Another user appeared in disbelief that anyone would want any of the things Ford has proposed recently, writing, "Does anyone want this? Everything he announces is some scheme that no one actually wants."

Another commenter, echoed that sentiment, writing, "Again. Which part of his campaign was this? Who voted for this? Who asked for this?”

One user added their perspective to the complaints, saying, "Yes, he is truly turning Toronto's waterfront into a playground for only the rich, and the rest of Toronto and the province get to pay for it.”

Another Redditor had the mic-drop comment of the day, stating, "At this rate, the only thing not being micro-managed by Ford in Ontario will be the Prime Minister."

It's worth noting that just a week ago, Michael Ford, a former Toronto city councillor and MPP and nephew of Premier Ford, told reporters he is seriously considering running to become Toronto's next mayor in the next municipal election on Oct. 26, 2026.