Federal transport minister Steven MacKinnon was in Prince Rupert on August 26 to announce over $23 million in grants to several British Columbia regional airports. The funds came from the Airports Capital Assistance Program (ACAP). All funding will go towards improving or replacing existing infrastructure.
Those airports that received funding include:
- Prince Rupert Airport – $3,756,600 to rehabilitate airfield lighting.
- Masset Airport (Haida Gwaii) – $10,852,330 to improve airfield pavement and drainage.
- Smithers Airport – $3,624,612 to rehabilitate airfield electrical equipment.
- Bella Coola Airport – $3,396,100 to rehabilitate the runway, taxiway and apron.
- Kamloops Airport – $1,349,057 upgrade and replace electrical infrastructure.
- Northern Rockies Regional (Fort Nelson) Airport – $552,600 to replace runway approach lighting.
“Local and regional airports are lifelines for many communities across British Columbia,” said MacKinnon. “By investing in our airports, we are building a stronger and more resilient Canada.”
To qualify for ACAP funding, an airport must be certified (as opposed to just registered) and be serviced by year-round scheduled passenger service. Federally owned or operated airports are not eligible for ACAP funding, including thoses that form part of the National Airport System. In B.C., ineligible airports include Port Hardy, Penticton, Sandspit, Victoria Harbour and Victoria International. The three NAS airports in B.C., Prince George, Kelowna and Vancouver International, are also normally ineligible, although an exception has been made in the past for Prince George’s airport due to its relatively low passenger count.
Since its inception in 1995, ACAP has provided more than $1.3 billion to fund 1,288 projects at over 200 local and regional projects across Canada.
The $23 million in funding for B.C. airports represents the lion’s share of the $38 million available nationally this year.
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