Provided by Transport Canada/CNW

LA RONGE, SK, Feb. 14, 2019 /CNW/ – Canadians, tourists and businesses benefit from safe and well-maintained airports. From visiting friends and family, to travelling to medical appointments, or getting goods to market, we rely on our local airports to support and sustain vibrant communities. These airports also provide essential air services including community resupply, air ambulance, search and rescue and forest fire response.

The Honourable Seamus O’Regan, Minister of Indigenous Services and Member of Parliament for St. John’s South — Mount Pearl, on behalf of the Honourable Marc Garneau, Minister of Transport, today visited the La Ronge (Barber Field) Airport to highlight the recent completion of two safety improvement projects: the replacement of the airfield lighting control system and the construction of a sand storage shed.

The updated airfield lighting control system is key to ensuring reliable and effective lighting and safe visibility on the runway, taxiway and apron. A well maintained stock of sand and urea, kept safe from moisture and freezing temperatures, is essential for snow and ice control on airport movement areas such as runways, taxiways and the apron.

This investment will enhance safety for aircraft, passengers, and crews, as well as protect costly airport safety assets, such as the airport’s snow clearing equipment and aircraft rescue and firefighting vehicles provided by the Town of La Ronge, during airport operations.

Funding of $392,548 came from Transport Canada’s Airports Capital Assistance Program for these two projects.

Quotes

“The La Ronge Airport is an important hub for community members of La Ronge Indian Band and the wider Northern Saskatchewan region. The upgrades made through this investment help ensure continued safe operations for passengers, crews and employees, while supporting regional economic development.” 

The Honourable Seamus O’Regan 
Minister of Indigenous Services and Member of Parliament for St. John’s South — Mount Pearl

“The Government of Canada recognizes the important role played by Canada’s local airports in supporting jobs and tourism, enabling investment and facilitating trade. Our investments are helping airports increase safety and accessibility for residents and travellers, while supporting the continued growth of local and regional economies.”

The Honourable Marc Garneau
Minister of Transport

Associated Links

• Airports Capital Assistance Program
• La Ronge Airport

Transport Canada is online at www.tc.gc.ca. Subscribe to e-news or stay connected through Twitter, Facebook, YouTubeand Flickr to keep up to date on the latest from Transport Canada.

This news release may be made available in alternative formats for persons living with visual disabilities.

SOURCE Transport Canada

Provided by Transport Canada/CNW

WHITEHORSE, Feb. 12, 2019 /CNW/ – Climate change affects the North more than any other part of Canada and threatens the efficiency, safety and reliability of northern transportation. Making our northern transportation system more resilient to the effects of climate is important given the key role transportation plays in the region’s social and economic development.

Today, the Honourable Marc Garneau, Minister of Transport, visited Yukon College where he announced details of two climate change adaptation research projects under the Northern Transportation Adaptation Initiative:

• Starting in 2019-20, funding of over $368,000 over two years to support the Northern Climate ExChange at Yukon College to design and put into use systems to alert about potential permafrost-related hazards, such as landslides and ground subsidence. This project involves sites on the Dempster Highway in Yukon, at Iqaluit Airport in Nunavut, and in Tasiujaq and Salluit in Nunavik, Quebec. 
• With more than $339,000 in funding between now and March 2021, the Université Laval will assess the effectiveness of climate change adaptation techniques being used at the Iqaluit Airport in Nunavut, and identify further permafrost-related risks that may surface over the short to long term. Funding will also support the transfer of knowledge to the Government of Nunavut and local airport managers so that they can monitor permafrost conditions and manage associated impacts in the future.

Each of these projects will improve our understanding of how climate change is affecting northern transportation infrastructure built over thaw-sensitive permafrost resulting in better decisions about design, construction, maintenance, and operations of northern roads and airports.

Quotes

“Canada’s North needs safe, efficient, and secure transportation connections and services. Support from the Northern Transportation Adaptation Initiative is building science-based knowledge to make transportation infrastructure more resilient to climate change. Through the research projects announced today, we ensure our Canadian communities can live, thrive, and grow here in the North.” 
The Honourable Marc Garneau
Minister of Transport 

“Our communities need to develop innovative technologies and build science-based knowledge to better prepare for the impacts of climate change. The funding announced by our Government is strengthening our climate change expertise while encouraging the development of economic opportunities throughout Yukon.” 
Larry Bagnell  
Member of Parliament for Yukon

“Our government is committed to science and evidence–based decision-making. The research that will be carried out by Université Laval, a world-class academic institution, will assess the effectiveness of climate change adaptation techniques on northern infrastructure and ultimately contribute to the resiliency of communities across the country.”
Joël Lightbound 
Member of Parliament for Louis-Hébert

Quick Facts

• Transport Canada’s Northern Transportation Adaptation Initiative aims to strengthen the capacity of northerners to adapt their transportation systems to climate change, through support for research, development and testing of adaptive technologies.
• The Northern Transportation Adaptation Initiative provides funding to help meet some of the challenges of climate change in Yukon, Northwest Territories, Nunavut, and communities in Nunavik and Northern Labrador.
• Northern infrastructure is particularly susceptible to climate change impacts and adaptive strategies are needed to deal with the increasing number of hazards emerging across Canada’s northern transportation corridors.
• The collaborative nature of the two projects announced today will develop and strengthen partnerships and build northern adaptation capacity for the longer term.

Associated Link

• Northern Transportation Adaptation Initiative

SOURCE Transport Canada

Provided by Transport Canada/CNW

RED LAKE, ON, Jan. 31, 2019 /CNW/ – Canadians, tourists and businesses benefit from safe and well-maintained airports. From visiting friends and family, to travelling to medical appointments, or getting goods to market, we rely on our local airports to support and sustain vibrant communities. These airports also provide essential air services including community resupply, air ambulance, search and rescue and forest fire response.

The Honourable Marc Garneau, Minister of Transport, today visited the Red Lake Municipal Airport to highlight the recent completion of two safety improvement projects: the purchase of a de-icer spraying trailer, which is used with a snow plow to help keep runways, taxiways and the apron clear of ice and snow; and the replacement of an omni-directional approach lighting system, including power converters and transformers, for Runway 26.

The omni-directional approach lighting system is an important part of airport operations as fog and harsh winter weather are common in the Red Lake region. Replacing the power converters and transformers will ensure the new lighting system functions effectively.

Funding of $152,943 came from Transport Canada’s Airports Capital Assistance Program for these two projects.

Minister Garneau also viewed detailed plans for the upcoming $10-million rehabilitation of Runway 08-26, Taxiways A, B and C, and Apron 2A adjacent to the Air Terminal Building. This project is also being funded through the Airports Capital Assistance Program.

A well maintained runway, taxiway and apron is key to ensuring safe usage by aircraft, passengers, and crews, as well as helping to protect costly airport safety assets such as snow clearing equipment and aircraft rescue and firefighting vehicles during airport operations.

Quotes

“The Government of Canada recognizes the important role played by Canada’s local airports in supporting jobs and tourism, enabling investment and facilitating trade. Our investments are helping airports increase safety and accessibility for residents and travellers, while supporting the continued growth of local and regional economies.”

The Honourable Marc Garneau
Minister of Transport

“The Red Lake Airport is an important hub for residents and businesses in this region. This investment will help ensure continued safe airport operations for passengers, crews and employees, while supporting the regional economy and its social development.”

The Honourable Bob Nault 
Member of Parliament for Kenora

Associated Links

• Airports Capital Assistance Program
• Red Lake Airport

Transport Canada is online at www.tc.gc.ca. Subscribe to e-news or stay connected through Twitter, Facebook, YouTubeand Flickr to keep up to date on the latest from Transport Canada.

This news release may be made available in alternative formats for persons living with visual disabilities.

SOURCE Transport Canada