Did you know Toronto Pearson began in 1938 as Malton Airport, built on 13 farmers’ fields?

Canada’s largest airport started life on farmland. According to Toronto Pearson’s own history page, the site originally covered 13 farmers’ fields and opened in 1938 as Malton Airport, operated by the Toronto Harbour Commission. On 29 August 1938, an American Airways DC-3 from Buffalo became the first passenger flight to land there.

Growth was not immediate. The airport says building a modest terminal took almost twenty years. The first modern terminal, Aeroquay 1, opened in 1964 with an innovative circular design intended for up to 3.5 million passengers; when it closed in 2004, it was handling almost 9 million passengers a year. Terminal 2 opened in 1972, Terminal 3 in 1991 and a new Terminal 1 in 2004, while Terminal 2 was demolished in 2008.

In 1996 Transport Canada selected the Greater Toronto Airports Authority to operate the airport under a 60-year lease. Today, according to the airport, its airfield and terminals cover 19 square kilometres, it handles twice as many passengers as Vancouver International and it offers more connections than all but four airports worldwide.

The circular terminal has gone, and Terminals 1 and 3 now follow a linear design. Passengers flying through Toronto should confirm whether their flight uses Terminal 1 or Terminal 3 before setting off for the airport.