Government of Canada announces new funding to strengthen air safety in British Columbia

December 5, 2023             Ottawa             Transport Canada

Canadians rely on safe and well-maintained local and regional airports for essential services like community resupply, air ambulance, search and rescue, and forest fire response.

Today, the Minister of Transport, Pablo Rodriguez, announced that the Government of Canada is investing in safe and efficient airports  in British Columbia.

Through Transport Canada’s Airports Capital Assistance Program, eight airports in British Columbia are receiving more than $12 million in new funding for projects and equipment that will help maintain safe airport operations for passengers, crews, and airport workers. The airports receiving funding are:

Bella Bella Campbell Island Airport

• to improve Runway 13-31 end safety area - $5,527,913

Campbell River Airport

• to purchase a 4 x 4 plow truck - $558,375

Castlegar, West Kootenay Regional Airport

• to rehabilitate and expand the taxiway and Apron 5 - $2,359,820

Kamloops Airport

• to rehabilitate Apron 1 - $2,091,362

Nanaimo Airport

• to purchase a loader - $346,860

Quesnel Regional Airport

• to purchase a sweeper - $491,500

Terrace-Kitimat, Northwest Regional Airport

• to replace omni-directional approach lights on Runway 15 - $108,599

Tofino-Long Beach Airport

• to purchase a loader - $533,631

The runway improvements in Bella Bella include the removal of rock and terrain that intrude into the takeoff and landing airspace, which is especially important should there be a runway excursion. The equipment in Campbell River, Nanaimo, Quesnel, and Tofino-Long Beach will be used in maintaining aircraft movement surfaces and for the removal and control of ice and snow from airside surfaces such as runways, taxiways and the apron.

The taxiway expansion project in Castlegar will allow for more space between aircraft, resulting in greater efficiency and safety when more than one aircraft is present. Multiple aircraft activity can occur in situations during aerial fire suppression activities directed by the provincial Forestry Air Tanker Base located in Castlegar, allowing the tankers to land and refill their water supply more quickly.

The replacement of omni-directional approach lights with LED in Terrace-Kitimat will result in brighter lights and cost savings. The rehabilitation of Apron 1 in Kamloops will repair or replace selected panels, with subsurface improvements for the concrete areas, and mill/pave of 100 mm for the asphalt areas.