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The federal government announced funding of more than $700,000 for new wildlife control fencing and some runway maintenance and monitoring tools for the Moosonee Airport.
Transport Minister Omar Alghabra delivered the news on Sept. 22.
The funding, which is coming out of the Airports Capital Assistance Program (ACAP), is also earmarked for the purchase of a runway friction tester and a sweeper, used in the removal of ice and snow.
A runway friction tester is a fully instrumented pickup or a towed piece of equipment that evaluates surface friction on runway pavement due to changes in the weather (like heavy rain, ice, slush or snow) or rubber contamination.
Transport Canada’s ACAP was started in 1995 when the federal government decided to get out of the regional airport business across Canada and turn these facilities over to local municipalities or to be operated by independent entities.
ACAP funding goes into projects like runway and taxiways repairs and fixes, airport lighting, snow clearing and firefighting equipment, and fencing. The government said it’s dropped more than $1.2 billion in these kind of projects at airports across Canada since 1995.
“Investments like this one at the Moosonee Airport will ensure that residents in and around Moosonee are able to travel with ease, whether it be for personal or business reasons, and continue to have access to healthcare and critical goods,” said Alghabra in a statement.
“As we begin to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, ensuring our airports stay strong will help us deliver on our promise to build safer, stronger communities."
