STAY CONNECTED: Have the stories that matter most delivered every night to your email inbox. Subscribe to our daily local news wrap.
By Shaun Penner
YQU

Federal funding to help replace wildlife fencing around Grande Prairie Airport

Aug 8, 2019 | 5:57 AM

The Grande Prairie Airport has received just short of $500,000 from the federal government to replace the wildlife fencing around the airport grounds.

The money comes as a Capital Assistance Grant, which comes as part of an agreement between the feds and the airport commission.

“So, we get 25% of grant funding for any projects that are safety related,” said Airport CEO Brian Grant. “We applied for this fencing, actually, two years ago and we just got approved this year. So, we’re looking forward to getting the project completed.”

The fence is due for replacement, as it is now over 40 years old. Grant adds that the timing to do this now is more of a preventative measure, not one based on a prior incident with the likes of moose, deer or other wildlife hopping the fence.

“We have had very, very few incidents where wildlife gets actually inside the fence we currently have,” said Grant. “Transport Canada transferred the airport (to the commission) 20 years ago, when it was already 20 years old then. So, certainly we have kept it up well, but it’s time for something new.”

The new fence will be nearly double the height of the current one, going from a standard four-foot to a seven-foot game fence. The higher fence will further help keep both animals, and humans, off the tarmac.

Grant also shares that the airport found out that their application was going to get approval back in May, so work will be getting started very shortly.

“It’s already went to tender and is scheduled to start next week. So, we’re ahead of the game here after the announcement.”

He further shares that because of the agreement made between the airport commission and the federal government, following the transfer of operations to the local authority in 1998, the feds are required to help YQU out with capital projects until the airport reaches 500,000 passengers. The record for most passengers in one year at YQU was set back in 2014, with 445,685 people flying in and out of the Swan City.

Though this money comes as part of that agreement, Grant is still grateful for the government’s investment in the airport.

“The Federal Government’s contribution is a signal that they still see the airport as a fundamental, economic driver in the community,” said Grant. “Certainly, they are showing a commitment to continued investment in the safety part of the operations of the airport.”

by Shaun Penner