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No. P12/99
For release July 23, 1999
SAFETY IMPROVEMENTS AT CRANBROOK AIRPORT
CRANBROOK, B.C. — Herb Dhaliwal, Minister of National Revenue and MP
(Vancouver South - Burnaby), on behalf of Transport Minister David Collenette,
today announced federal funding of $91,600 for a safety improvement project at
Cranbrook Airport under the federal government's Airports Capital Assistance
Program.
"Safety is Transport Canada’s top priority," said Mr. Dhaliwal.
"With today’s contribution towards Cranbrook Airport, the federal
government is helping to enhance not only safety, but also the economic
potential of the region’s transportation infrastructure."
The project involves replacing and upgrading the runway lighting system from
the existing Visual Approach Slope Indicator System (VASIS) to a Precision
Approach Path Indicator System (PAPI). This improvement will help to ensure
Cranbrook Airport remains a safe and efficient facility.
The Airports Capital Assistance Program (ACAP) is part of the National
Airports Policy, which was announced in July 1994. Under ACAP, which
officially began April 1, 1995, airports may apply for funding towards
capital projects related to safety, asset protection and operating cost
reduction. To be eligible, they must receive regularly scheduled passenger
service, meet airport certification requirements and not be owned by the federal
government.
"ACAP is an example of the federal government directing infrastructure
resources to where they are needed and can best enhance safety," said
Mr. Collenette. "This program is just one way the government —
through the National Airports Policy — seeks to ensure a safe, efficient
and affordable airports system to serve Canadians well into the future."
Cranbrook Airport is owned by the City of Cranbrook and operated under
contract by Cranbrook Airports Services Limited. Regularly scheduled passenger
service is provided at the airport, which has handled, on average, over 70,000
passengers annually for the past three years.
Funding for this project was provided for in the federal budget and is
therefore built into the existing fiscal framework. This initiative is an
example of how the federal government is prioritizing its spending so that it
can better serve Canadians by making efficient use of their tax dollars.
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Contact:
Rod Nelson
Communications, Vancouver
(604) 666-1675
Transport Canada is online at http://www.tc.gc.ca/.
Subscribe to news releases and speeches at apps.tc.gc.ca/listserv/ and
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