Money for Airport

The airport in Wabush will be getting a facelift beginning the end of this month.

The federal government has announced it will inject $428,000 in a project to make significant improvements to the terminal building.

As MP Loyola Hearn explains, the money comes the federal government, a commitment he says from Canadas new government and the Minister of Transport, Lawrence Cannon.

We have a minister who is very interested in our airports in our province, Hearn said of Transport Minister Cannon. I have worked closely with him on several committees and I can assure you, if we have concerns here in our province, he is available and accessible.

Hearn, the regional minister, hinted theres more to come by way of federal funding for Labrador but he wants to get some issues cleared away before the announcements are made.

We have a whack of money actually to announce for Labrador but I would like to have the Trans Labrador [Highway] situation put to bed, Hearn said. We spent months trying to get a business plan out of the provincial government. We have always said, and I will say again, the money is there, but we have to sit with the province see what they want to do and how they want to do it. I will say quite clearly, if we are going to put $50 million into something we want to make sure its something worthwhile.

In the meantime, work will commence on the Wabush airport with a contractor already in place to take on the project.

The work will be carried out by Traytown Builders Ltd. of Traytown in Bonavista Bay. It is scheduled to begin in late August and is expected to be completed by mid-October.

The terminal building itself, the siding in particular, certainly isnt adequate, Minister Hearn explained. We realize its not Florida where the building is. Winters in Wabush are severe and they were having major problems with loose siding, which not only causes problems with heating the building but also its very dangerous especially around an airport. So, the siding will be replaced with a heavier material along with insulation being replaced. These improvements, to the Air Terminal Building, will make Wabush Airport more energy efficient as well, thus protecting the environment.

The Wabush Airport is owned and operated by Transport Canada. The airport hosts four airlines that provide regularly scheduled passenger service year-round. Those airlines include Air Canada Jazz, Air Labrador, Provincial Airlines and Air Inuit. Prince Edward Air also provides charter services from the airport.

Federal funding for this project is provided for in the existing financial framework.