Saskatchewan’s NDP Opposition is pressuring the province to get going on proposed upgrades to the Fond du Lac airport.
The province has put in an application to the federal government for cost-shared funding to expand the existing runway by 1,200 feet.
However, speaking in the legislature Monday, Athabasca NDP MLA Buckley Belanger says the residents of Fond du Lac can’t wait for federal dollars to flow and the Sask. Party government needs to move now on the multimillion-dollar project.
“Leaders of the community have been constantly raising their concerns for urgently needed upgrades to handle the size of aircraft landing on their sites and more so to ensure the safety of their community members but this government has simply ignored their demands,” he says.
However, Highways Minister Lori Carr says the Sask. Party government is committed to improving the facility.
“We currently have an application in to the federal government, Mr. Speaker, regarding the upgrading of the runway,” she says. “These improvements would make the Fond du Lac runway similar in size to Buffalo Narrows, Meadow Lake and Hudson Bay. That would be a great benefit to that community.”
It was almost one year ago that a West Wind Aviation plane crashed in the community shortly after takeoff with several passengers critically injured and one dying from sustained injuries.
The Transport Safety Board of Canada is still investigating and has not yet filed an official report on what may have caused the crash.
Yet, a preliminary report does say there was icing on the wings prior to takeoff.
Roughly 28,000 people fly in and out of Fond du Lac annually.
The remote community is largely only accessible by water in the summer and air year round.
The cost of expanding the runway by 1,200 feet is estimated to be about $25 million.
The province is looking to get the Trudeau government to cover 50 per cent of this expenditure.
(with files by Katrina Cameron)
(PHOTO: Wreckage of the December, 2017 plane crash at the Fond du Lac airport. File photo.)