Ontario Premier Doug Ford has announced he intends to use controversial, sweeping powers to designate Toronto’s Billy Bishop airport a special economic zone, where provincial and municipal laws can be bypassed.

The premier has talked for weeks about “taking over” control of the island airport from the City of Toronto to extend its runway and allow larger jets to operate straight into the downtown. He’s said he will compensate the city for lost revenue.

“We’re unlocking Billy Bishop Airport’s full potential by expanding the airport so we can bring cheaper flight options, more routes and more convenience to the millions of people from across Ontario who use this airport every year,” Ford said in a statement.

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“With an upgraded airport on the waterfront, Toronto and Ontario will be able to compete with world-class cities across the globe, supporting tourism and business travel across Ontario and creating thousands of new jobs for Ontario workers.”

The province plans to introduce legislation to take over the airport, as well as designate it a special economic zone.

The tool the Ford government is using to speed through the takeover and expansion of Billy Bishop sparked major controversy when it was introduced.

The provincial government rushed its Bill 5, the Protect Ontario by Unleashing our Economy Act, through the legislature last year to give itself the power to declare special economic zones.

Those areas, which can be decided by Ford and his cabinet, would see environmental, provincial and local laws suspended to fast-track projects.

Throughout the process — which saw large protests and demonstrations from First Nations — the government said the law was vital to bring mining developments to the mineral-rich Ring of Fire area of northern Ontario.

It was framed by the province in the context of the U.S.-Canada tariff war as necessary to push past slow approvals and red tape.

Ford had also suggested he would designate other projects, like nuclear reactors or a tunnel under Highway 401, special economic zones.

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