Toronto Airport to establish training facility in honour of Guide Dog Day

Toronto Airport to honour guide dogs with training facility. CREDIT: CNW Group/Greater Toronto Airports Authority)

Toronto Pearson International Airport have partnered with WestJet and the Lions Foundation of Canada Dog Guides (LFCDG) to establish a training facility for new guide and assistance dogs. It is in honour of International Guide Dog Day. 

Guide and assistance dogs and their handlers were at Terminal 3 on 26 April, providing familiarisation training for the dogs on all aspects of the airport experience, including security screening and boarding an aircraft in a busy atmosphere.

“We are continuously working to identify, remove and prevent barriers for people with disabilities, and we continue to engage with our community to bring further improvements and innovations to Pearson,” said Kurush Minocher, Director, Passenger Experience and Development, Greater Toronto Airports Authority. “Partnerships like these allow us to foster a positive experience for all passengers at the airport.”

“From check-in to security screening to boarding an aircraft, Dog Guides in seven different programmes are able to train to continue to focus on their job while being in these busy environments,” explains Gina Lijoi, Director of Programmes and Client Services at LFCDG. “We’re grateful to Toronto Pearson and West Jet, for joining forces with LFCDG to improve independent travel and customer service for travellers traveling with Dog Guides.”

The training showcased how dog guides can assist individuals with independent travel. This partnership with WestJet and the Lions Foundation of Canada Dog Guides started more than two years ago, with trainings taking place monthly. It is part of Toronto Pearson’s ongoing commitment to create a more inclusive experience for all passengers. 

In 2022, Toronto Pearson became the first airport in North America and second in the world to receive the Airports Council International (ACI) accreditation under the Accessibility Enhancement Accreditation (AEA) programme, a first-of-its-kind programme dedicated to airport accessibility. The programme is designed to help airports measure, evaluate, and improve their accessibility management and culture. It is the only international assessment or accreditation programme dedicated to airports’ accessibility to passengers with disabilities.

To learn more about accessibility at Toronto Pearson, visit here.