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TORONTO – Do Torontonians want a bigger downtown island airport? The city’s launching a consultation process on the topic next month to find out.

“The focus of the consultation is to assess how changes to the airport would impact the city, including the ongoing revitalization of the waterfront and nearby communities on the water’s edge,” wrote the city in a media release.

Earlier this year, Porter Airlines announced the purchase of 12 CS100 Bombardier jets with the goal of reaching new destinations such as Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton, Winnipeg, California, Florida and the Caribbean.

In order to land the new jets, the company wants to lengthen the runway by 168 metres on each end.

But before they can accomplish that, the airline will need to convince Toronto city council to amend an airport agreement between the municipality, the federal government and the Toronto Harbour Commission which states no jets are to operate or land at the airport.

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Residents and city officials have argued the project will raise the noise level in the downtown waterfront where the island airport is situated.

READ MORE: Porter issues plea for public support of Billy Bishop airport expansion

The public consultation process will include workshops, public meetings, a town hall and feedback online.

Staff will then submit an update to the City’s Executive Committee on September 24.

NoJetsTO, the local organization lobbying against allowing jets to land at the island airport, issued a press release Tuesday slamming the city for a brochure it suggests “reads like it was written by Deluce lobbyists” by ignoring the negative effects expansion, they say, could have on the surrounding ecosystem.

The brochure outlines the findings of several studies already conducted on the possible effects of expanding the island airport.

A final public consultation meeting will be held in early November and the final report is scheduled to be brought forward at the December 5 meeting of the Executive Committee. After being discussed at Executive Committee, the motion could go to city council for final approval.