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Canadians, tourists and businesses benefit from safe and well-maintained airports. From visiting friends and family, to travelling to medical appointments, or getting goods to market, we rely on our local airports to support and sustain vibrant communities. These airports also provide essential air services including community resupply, air ambulance, search and rescue and forest fire response.
Jonathan Wilkinson, minister of Fisheries, Oceans and the Canadian Coast Guard and member of Parliament for North Vancouver, on behalf of Marc Garneau, minister of Transport, visited the Prince Albert (Glass Field) Airport to highlight the recent completion of four safety improvement projects – the purchase of a runway snowblower, the construction of a sand storage shed, the purchase of a runway condition reporting system and friction tester, and the replacement of a grader.
The runway snowblower, a 3,500 horsepower (HP) self-propelled model, and the grader, with a 200 HP engine and carbide scraper blade, are used to remove ice and snow from runways, taxiways and the apron. The sand storage shed protects the sand, granular and liquid products used on airside surfaces from snow, ice and rain, while the runway condition reporting system and friction tester provide timely, accurate and precise wireless recording and reporting of runway conditions and relays the information directly to aircraft to help ensure safe landings.
Well-maintained runways, taxiways and aprons, free of ice and snow, ensure safe usage by aircraft, passengers, and crews, and help protect costly airport safety assets during airport operations.
Funding of $1,136,665 was provided for these projects through Transport Canada’s Airports Capital Assistance Program.
“The Prince Albert (Glass Field) Airport is an important hub for residents, businesses and tourists in this region. This investment will help ensure continued safe and reliable operations for aircraft, passengers and flight crews, while supporting tourism and social and economic development in the region,” said Wilkinson.
“Our government recognizes that local airports are major contributors to the economic growth and social well-being of smaller communities. In addition to supporting travel and tourism, local airports are key connectors for business, health care, social services, and emerging resource development sectors. These investments will improve access to safe, efficient and accessible air transportation options, and will help us deliver on our promise to build safer, healthier and stronger communities across Canada,” added Garneau.
