Bigger & Better

To those who had the misfortune of arriving in Toronto from the US on Air Canada or United, I offer sincere apologies on behalf of all of Canada. I am sorry for the 20 mins of sensory deprivation you experienced as you got off the plane and made your way to customs down a cold, dimly lit hallway. I'm sorry for that sudden twinge of panic as you wondered if your plane had entered a wormhole and landed in the former Soviet Union - in the 1960s. I'm sorry for the detention cell ... er .. customs hall where you waited and watched your hair turn gray. Please accept my sincerest apologies.

Yes, Terminal 2 at Toronto's Pearson airport was that bad. A relic from the 60s (probably designed by cruel British architects - probably the same ones who built Heathrow T3), it was a national disgrace that sent American tourists scurrying back home on the next flight. I can finally talk about it freely because two days ago, it saw its last flight. Yes folks, T2 is history. The nightmare is over. We are safe to fly again.

To mark this occassion, Peason airport held a "wake" of sorts for T2 this Sunday. I was half tempted to go, considering that T2 is where I officially became a Canadian resident. Of course, other priorities prevailed.

So what happens to the building now? In true Canadian fashion, there will be no bulldozers & earth movers. Instead, over the next two years, the terminal will be carefully recycled - down to the last block of concrete.

To make up for past indignities, we now give you this ultra-modern, bright, spacious masterpiece. I've flown through it a few times now and it's a sheer joy. Makes you feel good about being home. Designed by Moshe Safdie, who also gave us the National Gallery in Ottawa, the airport is the epitome of good planning, design & engineering. Everything's exactly where it should be. Everything works. It's also future-proof - the structure can be easily expanded to accomodate two more piers larger than the current ones.

Pearson T1 has another claim to fame. Pier F, which opened Monday, is the only North American airport to offer airside transit facilities to international passengers. While European airports have offered this for ages, the concept is new to North America. Given the increasing US security/visa/customs regulations, Pearson hopes this will make it the stopover of choice for non-US flights.