The Village of Valemount Airport will receive $27,000 in funding from the B.C. Air Access Program for airport infrastructure improvements, announced MLA for Prince George-Valemount Shirley Bond, on behalf of Minister of Transportation and Infrastructure Todd Stone.

“Safety is always the highest priority for our airports and this funding will help the Village of Valemount improve the airport surfaces to a standard that increases safety for pilots and passengers,” said Bond.

Funding will be used for tree removal, and runway and taxiway line painting to improve visibility and increase safety for aircraft take-off and landing, particularly for emergency medevac services.

Through the B.C. Air Access Program, the ministry cost shares with public airports on projects such as lighting and navigational systems, terminal building expansion or upgrades, and runway improvements. These types of projects will allow airports to improve safety, accommodate larger aircraft and more frequent flights, and further support the continuing growth of local and provincial economies.

The ministry has committed $24 million over the past three years for the B.C. Air Access Program. This year’s program is providing $10 million for airport infrastructure improvement projects throughout the province. The program also encourages funding partnerships with the federal government, local and regional governments and agencies, and the private sector. Last year, the program provided $8 million toward improvements at 23 regional airports.

The B.C. Air Access Program is part of B.C. on the Move, the Province’s 10-year transportation plan. Over the next three years the ministry and its partners are investing over $4.6 billion in priority transportation investments as part of this plan.

Learn More:

For information on the B.C. Air Access program, go to: http://www.gov.bc.ca/BCAirAccessProgram