$700,000 COMMUNITY AIRPORT PARTNERSHIP GRANTS FLY HIGHER

Funding Increases by 40 Per Cent for Cost-Shared Airport Infrastructure Program

Highways and Infrastructure Minister Jim Reiter today announced the 11 eligible community airports that will share the $700,000 available for this year's provincial cost-shared infrastructure grants for projects like runway improvements.

"We've increased the province's investment by 40 per cent for this grant program so more can be done to improve airport infrastructure," Reiter said. "Community airports are important to our economy as they are used by the energy and mining sectors and also provide vital air ambulance service to Saskatchewan residents."

The grants are through the Ministry of Highways and Infrastructure's Community Airports Partnership (CAP) program and are equally matched by eligible recipients, which means up to $1.4 million is expected to be invested by the end of the fiscal year. Airports that will receive the grants (which will be matched by the communities that own the airports), amounts and planned projects are:

• Estevan, $103,000, to repair runway cracks and pave aprons;
• RM of Frontier, $24,000, to rehabilitate runway and tarmac;
• Kindersley, $7,500, to seal apron cracks;
• Kipling, $31,000, to seal runway cracks;
• Maple Creek $20,000, to install a global positioning system (GPS);
• Moose Jaw, $35,000, to seal runway cracks, upgrade apron and taxiway lighting; 
• North Battleford, $37,500, for major crack repairs;
• Rosetown, $47,000, to install runway lighting;
• Shaunavon, $25,000, for an Automated Weather Observing System (AWOS);
• Weyburn, $197,000, to recap part of one runway and to completely recap main runway; and
• Yorkton, $173,000, for runway and taxiway repairs, runway lighting and drainage rehabilitation.
  
  "It's wonderful to see the province increase the funding and recognize aviation's important role," Saskatchewan Aviation Council President Janet Keim said. "We also appreciate the support we've seen for this program from various communities, as they see the value of this transportation sector to their local economies."

This is the first time CAP funding has increased since the program began in 2007. By the end of the current fiscal year when combining ministry and applicant funds, up to $4.8 million will be invested in 23 communities for airport rehabilitation over five years.

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For more information, contact:

Dan Palmer
Highways and Infrastructure
Regina
Phone: 306-787-4805

Janet Keim
Saskatchewan Aviation Council
Phone: 306-244-6714