By Liam Verster

Airport Safety Upgrades

Grande Prairie Airport using nearly $750k in federal grants for safety upgrades

May 23, 2021 | 6:00 AM

The Grande Prairie Airport is using two federal grants totaling $747,551 to do some safety upgrades to the facility.

Doug Mark, the Director of Operations at the airport, says the first grant they successfully applied for will be used to build a replacement sand storage shed.

“It’s used to house the sand that used during the winter months on the runways and taxiways for the safety of aircraft operation.”

That grant is worth $134,680.

The other grant the airport is receiving is for $612,871, and will be used to replace a generator and airport signage.

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“It’s the standby emergency power generator that’s being replaced,” said Mark.

“As part of our safety program here it’s getting older and it’s outdated, so we’ve been awarded funding to replace it with a new unit.”

The rest of the funds from that grant will go towards the replacement of mandatory air-side signage.

“So it’s the directional signage for the runways, taxiways and aprons on the airport that direct aircraft in the location they’re looking to go to.”

Mark says these projects will be done over the summer, with the goal of completing them by September 1st.

These grants are being provided to the Grande Prairie Airport through Transport Canada’s Airports Capital Assistance Program, which is providing over $20-million to Alberta airports this year for safety-related projects.