Obituary: ‘Amazing businessman’ Tony Battaglia spurred Hamilton airport to new heights

Tony Battaglia is being remembered as a man who had a good head for business and who helped the Hamilton airport take off.

He's also being remembered as a loving father who found time to be at his children's activities despite a busy schedule, including coaching hockey and soccer.

Battaglia was one of the founders of Tradeport International, which took over operation of the John C. Munro Hamilton International Airport from Hamilton-Wentworth Region in 1996 under a 40-year deal.

He served as president and, under his leadership, the airport developed into one of the busiest cargo and courier centres in Canada, and hit one million passengers per year in 2003.

He had that vision but he also had that courage to implement," said friend Ron Foxcroft, the well-known businessman who now heads Tradeport. He was always moving forward in a straight line. He said to me we are going to be a dominant cargo airport in Canada."

Foxcroft said the name Tradeport comes from Battaglia's vision for the airport, which eventually landed such companies as United Parcel Service and Purolator Canada Inc.

He talked of passengers but he also wanted Hamilton International to be a trading port."

Battaglia, involved in other ventures such as the Royal Connaught project and the Hamilton Bulldogs, died of cancer on January 19. He was 64.

The airport is now the largest overnight express cargo airport in Canada, but passenger service dropped off when WestJet, which arrived in 2000, moved the majority of its operations to Toronto in 2004. In 2018, it saw 725,000 passengers per year.

Battaglia stepped down as Tradeport president in 2004 and sold his shares in 2007 to focus on developing the lands surrounding the airport.

He was presented with an Italian Heritage Award of Distinction from Festitalia Hamilton last year. His work related to the Hamilton airport has helped, for today, to spur millions of dollars in economic spinoff and job creation that will continue to grow as the airport business district evolves," said organizers.

Battaglia said in 2019 his entrepreneurial spirit came from his father Giuseppe, who founded a contracting business after arriving in Canada from Italy in 1951. Two of Battaglia's children, Joseph and Jenny, joined him in 2014 to form home builder Westpark Homes.

Battaglia founded Westpark Developments Inc. in 1984 after spending time as a realtor and playing in a band. The development and financing firm became a major home builder. He was named Builder of the Year in 1989 by the Hamilton Home Builders' Association and served on the Regional Chair's Task Force on Affordable Housing in 1990.

Battaglia was also president of Talkit.ca, an internet phone service business, from 2009-2018.

He was important on both fronts," said daughter Catherine Robinson, an elementary school teacher. We saw him as this amazing businessman, but he came home and had dinner with us every night."

Erica Battaglia, a high school teacher, called her father our rock" and Jenny said her father was inspiring." Joseph related a story where he failed to make a team and his dad brought home a book on famous people like Babe Ruth and how they didn't let failure stop them.

I remember being very upset," he said. It just speaks to the kind of dad he was."

Lawyer and friend Peter Tice called Battaglia a wonderful person, full of good will, compassion, vision and enthusiasm. Tony always brought passion, a keen mind and hard work to everything he tackled."

Battaglia was born in Hamilton on Nov. 7, 1956, to Giuseppe and Caterina Battaglia. His mother worked in a clothing factory. He attended Linden Park Elementary School and Sir Winston Churchill Secondary School. He attended John F. Ross Collegiate Vocational Institute when his parents moved to Guelph.

He enrolled in Mohawk in 1973 and three years later graduated with honours from the Architectural Engineering Technology program. In 1998, he was presented with a Mohawk Alumni of Distinction Award.

In 2019, Battaglia was honoured by the Canadian Italian Business and Professional Association.

He volunteered with such groups as St. Joseph's Healthcare, Canadian Diabetes Association, Good Shepherd Centre and the Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum.

Battaglia was involved in the unsuccessful Cirque Niagara in 2007 and the redevelopment of a former hospital property in Windsor. He sold the property to a Toronto developer in 2012 but not before making headlines when he walked into city hall and paid off $900,000 in back taxes.

Battaglia is survived by son Joseph, daughters Catherine, Jenny, Erica, four grandchildren, sister Frances, former wife Rose and companion Maria.

Daniel Nolan can be reached at dannolanwrites@gmail.com