By Andrew de Souza

PA airport receives $6 million

Jul 12, 2011 | 11:05 AM

The Prince Albert airport is the recipient of a large portion of federal dollars to help revitalize its infrastructure.

This morning, federal transportation minister Steven Fletcher came to the city and announced $5.9 million for the city’s airport.

It’s part of about $21 million going to airports around the country this year, and Prince Albert is the largest recipient.

Fletcher said the facility needs the funding because of its economic importance as the hub of the province’s north.

“There’s a lot of expansion and growth in northern Saskatchewan, and a lot of these communities are only accessible by air,” he said.

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“It’s going to be vital to ensure that Prince Albert, as the gateway to the north, has an airport that can help facilitate the growth of those communities.”

Prince Albert Mayor Jim Scarrow agreed but added that while it was important for northern communities, it was also very important for the city.

“We have … in mining alone around 40 flights per week, and that number’s going to go up as more resources come into play,” he said.

“So this is vital to the economic future of Prince Albert. This is just one major piece of the puzzle that makes Prince Albert strong currently and going into the future.”

The money will go towards repaving the airport’s main runway. Currently, the city’s plans are being scrutinized by the federal government.

Once approved, the city is expecting the work to begin in September.

adesouza@panow.com