BRITISH COLUMBIA – Through Transport Canada’s Airports Capital Assistance Program, eight airports in British Columbia will receive over $14 million from the Government of Canada for projects and equipment that will help maintain safe airport operations for passengers, crews, and airport workers.
The airports receiving funding are:
Cranbrook
- $1,610,312 to rehabilitate airfield electrical systems
- $336,525 to purchase a 4×4 snowplow truck
Fort St. John
- $217,360 to purchase a sweeper
Masset
- $448,700 to purchase a 4×4 snowplow truck
- $428,905 to purchase a loader with attachments
Nanaimo
- $224,350 to purchase a 4×4 snowplow truck
Powell River
- $8,025,527 to rehabilitate Runway 09-27
Terrace
- $299,452 to construct a mobile equipment shelter
- $217,360 to purchase a sweeper
Tofino
- $2,333,104 to replace wildlife control fencing
- $261,751 to construct a sand and equipment shelter
Williams Lake
- $502,200 to purchase a medium-sized snowblower
This funding is in addition to the more than $61 million provided under the Program in 2021 to support safety-related projects at the Castlegar, Fort Nelson, Fort St. John, Kamloops, Masset, Nanaimo, Powell River, Prince George, Qualicum Beach, Quesnel, Smithers and Terrace airports.
The Fall Economic Statement 2020 also announced the temporary expansion of eligibility for the Airports Capital Assistance Program to allow National Airports System airports with less than one million annual passengers in 2019 to apply for funding under the Program in 2021-2022 and 2022-2023.
The Airports Capital Assistance Program (ACAP) has been funding improvement projects for regional airports since 1995. To date, the Government has invested more than $1.12 billion for 1,088 projects at 199 airports.
In addition to supporting personal travel and tourism, smaller regional airports provide:
- essential air services, including air ambulance, search and rescue, and forest fire response
- scheduled and charter air services that link communities to regional, national, and international markets for goods and services
- commercial air services (for example, aerial photography and flying schools)
- corporate aircraft and general aviation
