The provincial government has confirmed $275,000 in funding towards North Battleford’s runway rehabilitation project.
North Battleford is one of 15 community and regional airports receiving provincial funding from the province’s Community Airports Partnership program, grants that are cost-shared on a 50/50 basis between the provincial and municipal governments up to a maximum amount. A total of $700,000 in CAP funds have been approved for airports province-wide.
The announcement was made at Cameron McIntosh Airport by Battlefords MLA Herb Cox and North Battleford mayor Ryan Bater Wednesday.
The $275,000 from the province represents the maximum amount available to a community under the program for this year.
North Battleford had already approved funding in the amount of $550,000 towards this project for 2017, for a grand total of $825,000.
This is the second year of the four-year runway project, which this year will see the middle portion of the runway resurfaced.
Almost half of the main runway was resurfaced last year, and the plan is for the entire 88-foot strip to be completed this year.
If the CAP program continues in future years, the intention is for the sides of the runway to be done in future years.
The project has had the full support of council.
“As a council we discussed this project and the airport at length,” said Bater. “This project had the unanimous support of all of council back when we were doing our budget.”
The council had been waiting for confirmation of provincial funding, and in particular, whether the CAP program would be continued in the province.
Now that funding is secured, they can begin the tendering process, said Bater. Once they get bids, they will have a better idea about timelines for construction.
“This is a very exciting day for us”, said Bater. “We’ve been waiting to hear first to see if the program would be continued but second to see if we would be approved. So thank you very much, Herb, for the announcement, today, and it’s just a great day.”
In total, North Battleford has received $924,293 in CAP funding for various projects over the last 10 years, with the province receiving $6.3 million in total.
Among the work done over that time at the airport was runway edge lighting improvement, a pavement condition survey, airport terminal roof and terminal building renovations, crack repairs, storm sewer work, and capping of the taxiways.
“This airport is very important not only to the Battlefords but I think to the whole part of the Northwest,” said Cox.
“As someone who has had occasion in the past to fly in and out of this airport every week on the way back and forth to Regina, we realize the importance of this airport.”
The airport mainly handles private aircraft as well as the STARS Air Ambulance service. According to numbers Bater provided, on average the airport sees 7,670 aircraft a year including 480 business charters, 2,600 local recreational flyers, 1,500 itinerant users, 2,000 crop sprayers and 490 Medivac/air ambulance/STARS.
“The economy of not just our city but the town and the region is largely based on our status as a transportation hub,” said Bater.
“This airport is a huge part of that.”
Mayor Ryan Bater and Battlefords MLA Herb Cox were at Cameron McIntosh Airport to announce $275,000 in provincial funding towards the airport’s runway rehabilitation project. Photos by John Cairns and Josh Greschner
