Toronto, the bane of all travel

 

I’ve never been a particular fan of Toronto – too sprawling, congested and simply dull, from nondescript neighborhoods, flat topography and few standout attractions (I’ll skip Casa Loma and the CN Tower). Add to that my vote for world’s worst airport, or at least of the airports I’ve been to. Correction: Toronto used to be worse, it’s now London’s Stansted (Nov. 3/23 post). Dating from the early 2000s Toronto’s rebuilt Pearson airport was supposed to revolutionize the old Malton Airport with its (then) innovative round terminal and added rectangular box. Well, design wise, it was (somewhat) innovative and awesome with its shell-like canopies and serpentine halls. But that’s part of the problem. It takes forever to walk from one part of the airport to another. Inevitably I arrive from Windsor in the grounded tarmac short flight domestic northeast D-gates end of Terminal 1. Then up the escalator and where the hike to my international flight begins. Years ago, I would get lost trying to find the right hallway to take, the signage is so bad a couple of times I ended up in the parking garage. But now I’ve (kind of) learned the route, with a slog through seemingly endless hallways (three concourses) all the way to the high number E gates at the end of the south “Hammerhead” pier. Which are inevitably overcrowded with easy to mistake departure lines. One time I got in the wrong line for a flight to Santiago when I was heading to London. I’m thankfully not alone in my view. The Consumer Choice Center ranked Pearson among worst in the world. Criteria included location, number of airlines, connections, restaurants and shops. I could quibble with some of the data. Air Canada dominates with 52% of all flights. But the world’s largest airport, Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson, is controlled by Delta Air Lines with 75%. As for not being downtown – big deal! – as numerous airports are much further away from city centres. Try London’s Gatwick or even Heathrow, Europe’s busiest airport. And it takes almost an hour to get to Athens’ Eleftherios Venizelos airport. It used to be worse: there was no UP Union Pearson Express train to downtown prior to 2015. But it is what it is and this week I’ll be flying out again. The long – and only slightly easier to find expedition – awaits.

Meanwhile driving to Toronto Pearson from Windsor is a nightmare. Sure, Toronto traffic especially on Hwy 401 has always been bad – in Toronto. But now tie-ups begin as far as Cambridge, 75 km away. This past year I drove four round trips to catch flights out of Pearson based on cheaper fares. But I think never again. Even with a surcharge for flying from Windsor it’s worth it. No four-hour drive to begin with, and no aggravation from accidents and construction which can add on another hour. Especially when the flight from Windsor takes a scant hour and you can look down on the 401 and smugly smirk at those having to drive it.

- Ron Stang, Windsor Ontario Canada, a frequent traveller