No. H053/05For release - April 7, 2005
LABRADOR CITY, NL — Transport Minister Jean-C. Lapierre today announced 61 new projects to enhance safety at Canadian airports under the 2005-2006 Airports Capital Assistance Program.
The total proposed program funding for these new projects starting in 2005-2006 is over $51.4 million.
Established in 1995 and renewed for five years in January 2005, the Airports Capital Assistance Program helps eligible airports by financing capital projects related to safety, asset protection and operating cost reduction. In order to be eligible for funding consideration, an airport must have year round, regularly scheduled passenger service, meet Transport Canada airport certification requirements and not be owned by the Government of Canada.
The program is an integral part of the National Airports Policy, which provides Canadians with a comprehensive framework that clearly defines the Government of Canada's role regarding airports.
"The Airports Capital Assistance Program demonstrates the Government of Canada's commitment to helping regional airports enhance the safety of their facilities," said Mr. Lapierre. "By making these safety improvements, these airports are also able to enhance their economic potential."
Since April 1, 1995, funding from the program totals almost $350 million for 436 projects at 150 airports. Over 99 per cent of these were airside safety-related projects such as runways, taxiways, visual aids and heavy airside mobile equipment.
Funding for these projects was provided for in the March 2004 federal budget and is therefore built into the existing financial framework.
Backgrounders on the Airports Capital Assistance Program and the selected projects are attached.
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Contacts:
Irène MarcheterreDirector of CommunicationsOffice of the Minister, Ottawa(613) 991-0700
Chris KrepskiCommunicationsTransport Canada, Ottawa(613) 993-0055
Transport Canada is online at www.tc.gc.ca. Subscribe to news releases and speeches at www.tc.gc.ca/e-news and keep up-to-date on the latest from Transport Canada.
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BACKGROUNDERAIRPORTS CAPITAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM
The Airports Capital Assistance Program provides funding to eligible airports to finance capital projects related to safety, asset protection and operating cost reduction. To be eligible, an airport must receive year-round, regularly scheduled passenger service, meet Transport Canada airport certification requirements and not be owned by the Government of Canada.
Funding available under the program is set at $190 million, to be allocated from April 2005 to March 2010 at an average of $38 million per year. Contributions are considered for the following types of projects:
First priority projects include safety-related airside projects, such as rehabilitation of runways, taxiways, aprons, lighting and other utilities, visual aids and sand storage sheds. This category also includes related site preparation and environmental costs, aircraft firefighting vehicles and ancillary equipment and equipment shelters that are necessary to maintain the required level of protection.
Second priority projects include safety-related heavy airside mobile equipment, such as runway snow blowers, runway snowplows, runway sweepers, spreaders and decelerometers (winter friction testing devices), and heavy airside mobile equipment shelters.
Third priority projects include safety-related air terminal building and groundside projects, such as sprinkler systems, asbestos removal and barrier-free access.
Fourth priority projects include asset protection and refurbishing, operating cost reduction related to air terminal building or groundside access.
Priority for funding will also be established by Transport Canada on the basis of a detailed technical analysis of a facility's condition and maintenance history, airport traffic and certification requirements.
To be eligible, projects must maintain or improve safety levels, protect airport assets or significantly reduce operating costs. Projects must also meet accepted engineering practices and be justified on the basis of current demand. Airport facility expansion projects will only be considered if the current facilities have a potentially negative impact on safety at the airport.
Transport Canada's first priority is safety. Through the Airports Capital Assistance Program, the Government of Canada is helping to enhance not only airport safety, but also the economic viability of this important aspect of Canada's transportation infrastructure.
The program is part of the National Airports Policy, which was introduced in July 1994 and calls for the commercialization of designated Canadian airports, through divestiture to community interests. The policy enables communities to take greater advantage of their airports, reduce costs, tailor levels of service to local demand and attract new and different types of business.
April 2005
BACKGROUNDERAIRPORTS CAPITAL ASSISTANCEPROGRAM PROJECTS STARTING IN 2005-2006
ProvinceAirportProjectTotal AllocationAllocation 2005-2006Allocation 2006-2007Allocation 2007-2008
Alberta
Fort Chipewyan
Purchase of plow truck
$236,358
$236,358
Alberta
Fort McMurray
Installation of wildlife fencingReplacement of snowblower
$465,220$265,800
$465,220$265,800
Alberta
Grande Prairie
Upgrade to approach lighting
$758,933
$758,933
Alberta
Lethbridge
Rehabilitation of runway 05-23
$3,574,174
$3,574,174
Alberta
Medicine Hat
Upgrade to emergency power unit
$520,591
$520,591
Alberta
Peace River
Purchase of snowblowerPurchase of front end loaderRehabilitation of airfield lighting and associated work
$343,000
$205,000
$1,337,493
$343,000
$205,000
$1,337,493
British Columbia
Abbotsford
Rehabilitation of runway 01-19
Purchase of dry/liquid chemical spreader
$1,813,023
$57,544
$1,813,023
$57,544
British Columbia
Cranbrook
Switchgear assembly restoration
$35,600
$35,600
British Columbia
Fort Nelson
Purchase of sand spreader and dry/liquid chemical spreader
Purchase of runway sweeper
$119,718
$181,483
$119,718
$181,483
British Columbia
Kamloops
Rehabilitation of taxiways A & B and selective rehabilitation of apron 1
Purchase of decelerometer
$818,234
$4,250
$818,234
$4,250
British Columbia
Mackenzie
Restoration of airfield lighting
$462,000
$462,000
British Columbia
Nanaimo
Purchase of runway plow
$30,770
$30,770
British Columbia
Powell River
Purchase of front-end loader, loader-mounted snowblower and urea spreader
$377,281
$377,281
British Columbia
Prince Rupert
Purchase of front-end loader and loader-mounted snowblower
$297,400
$297,400
British Columbia
Quesnel
Purchase of front-end loader and loader-mounted snowblower
$383,800
$383,800
British Columbia
Terrace-Kitimat
Purchase of snowplow
Purchase of dry/liquid chemical spreaderElectrical distribution upgrade
$232,628
$92,340
$583,101
$232,628
$92,340
$583,101
British Columbia
Williams Lake
Purchase of hydrostatic runway sweeperPurchase of electric security gates
$181,330
$49,716
$181,330
$49,716
Manitoba
Red Sucker Lake
Replacement of loader, grader and plow truck
$506,000
$506,000
Manitoba
Shamattawa
Replacement of loader, grader and plow truck
$506,000
$506,000
Manitoba
St. Andrews
Replacement of snowblower
$509,320
$509,320
Manitoba
St. Theresa Point
Replacement of loader, grader and plow truck
$506,000
506,000
Newfound-land and Labrador
Churchill Falls
Purchase of plow
Purchase of runway sweeper
Electrical rehabilitation upgrades
$252,300
$161,800
$1,694,518
$252,300
$161,800
$1,694,518
Nova Scotia
Sydney
Selective replacement of apron panel
$178,200
$178,200
Nunavut
Gjoa Haven
Acquisition of runway plow truck
$246,000
$246,000
Nunavut
Iqaluit
Rehabilitation of taxiway Aand apron 1
$10,743,585
$900,000
$5,400,000
$4,443,585
Nunavut
Kugluktuk
Acquisition of runway plow truck
$246,000
$246,000
Nunavut
Rankin Inlet
Replacement of runway sweeper
$234,000
$234,000
Ontario
Dryden
Rehabilitation of airside pavement
$3,459,000
$3,459,000
Ontario
Fort Frances
Construction of sand shed
$198,300
$198,300
Ontario
Moosonee
Replacement of sand spreader truck and snowplow
Construction of new sand shed/equipment shelter
$160,000
$423,219
$160,000
$423,219
Ontario
Sarnia
Replacement of urea spreader
$13,800
$13,800
Ontario
Sudbury
Purchase of snowplow truck
$122,800
$122,800
Ontario
Wunnumin Lake
Purchase of supply of crushed gravel
$987,000
$843,150
$143,850
Quebec
Akulivik
Resurfacing of landing strip
$1,387,290
$800,000
$587,290
Quebec
Chibougamau-Chapais
Rehabilitation of landing strip
$2,212,400
$2,212,400
Quebec
Gaspé
Purchase of front-end loader with removable snowblower
$360,726
$360,726
Quebec
Inukjuak
Resurfacing of landing strip
$2,010,082
$1,200,000
$810,082
Quebec
La Grande Rivière
Purchase of snowplow with spreader
$168,864
$168,864
Quebec
Rimouski
Purchase of sweeper and decelerometer
$203,600
$203,600
Quebec
Rouyn-Noranda Airport
Purchase of runway lighting control systemConstruction of sand shedPurchase of front-end loader with removable snowblower and snowplow
$93,261$139,756$392,057
$93,261$139,756$392,057
Quebec
Val-d'Or
Purchase of snowplow with spreader
$262,500
$262,500
Saskatchewan
La Ronge
Purchase and installation of wildlife fencing
$1,063,475
$1,063,475
Saskatchewan
Prince Albert
Replacement of front end loader
$302,750
$302,750
Northwest Territories
Norman Wells
Rehabilitation of airside pavement
$6,966,255
$2,392,290
$4,573,965
Northwest Territories
Yellowknife
Construction of drainage channel
$310,250
$310,250
Yukon
Dawson
Purchase and installation of incursion control fencing
$344,000
$344,000
Yukon
Old Crow
Purchase and installation of incursion control fencing
$628,000
$628,000
Total
$51,419,895
$35,461,123
$11,515,187
$4,443,585
