The good news is that cleaner alternatives toxic leaded aviation fuel are already emerging.

Canadian flight operators, including Sealand Flight in Campbell River, BC, are also beginning to introduce electric training aircraft that dramatically reduce both fuel emissions and aircraft noise.

At Boundary Bay Airport in British Columbia, Delta-based company Elibird aero is working to establish Canada’s first all-electric flight training operation using battery-powered aircraft. 

These developments highlight the choice facing regional airports — many of which are owned by the very municipal governments elected to represent residents exposed to rising risks of toxic lead emissions. Should we permit these airports to continue to expand aviation using a toxic fuel the automotive sector abandoned decades ago? Or should we support them to help pioneer the cleaner, quieter aviation systems of the future?