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The Government of Nunavut is having security cameras installed at airports across the North. Workers have already added cameras to Arviat airport and plan to put up more at the Rankin Inlet airport. - NNSL file photo |
They'll be watching you Security cameras to be installed at Rankin airport
Miranda Scotland
Northern News Services
Published Wednesday, July 31, 2013
RANKIN INLET/ARVIAT
Security cameras are set to be installed at the Rankin Inlet airport this fall.
The move is part of the Government of Nunavut's push to beef up security following vandalism incidents at airstrips in the territory.
In 2012, a troublemaker broke into a Canadian North plane parked in Pond Inlet overnight and vandalized it.
The next day's flight had to be cancelled as a result.
The year before, someone hit a Canadian North aircraft with a shovel, causing more than $250,000 worth of damage.
According to Shawn Maley, director of Nunavut Airports, there have also been problems with people breaking into airport terminal buildings.
"There has been an issue, not so much in Rankin but in other places in terms of people being in the terminals when they shouldn't be," said Maley.
"Between that and the issue with air plane damage over in Pond, we just decided to initiate this security initiative across all of our airports."
The government planned to have the work done in two years and they are already one year in.
So far, cameras have been installed in airports in Arviat, Pond Inlet and Iglulik. Next will be Pangnirtung, Cape Dorset and then Rankin.
At the smaller airports, Maley said workers have typically installed four cameras but because of the size of Rankin's facility it may need six. As a result, the project may cost more than the $50,000 to $60,000 spent on other communities' airports, he added.
Maley expects the cameras to be installed in Rankin by October.
The security system put in place in Arviat in May has been working well.
"In any of the places where we've done installation we haven't had any incidents air-side or in the airport terminal building," he said.
Arviat was picked to be among the first airports to get cameras because of past issues.
There was an incident, recounted Maley, where someone went into an airplane and took some potato chips.
"It was a polite burglar because he took the flashlight on board and used it and then put the flashlight back but he put it in upside down," he added.
"They didn't damage the plane, the plane wasn't locked, but they went in ... It's still disconcerting when the flight crew notices someone has been in the airplane."
Chris Ferris, executive vice-president of marketing and sales at First Air, told Nunavut News/North that he welcomes the increased protection of the company's equipment, especially in communities where planes have to overnight.
"Remaining overnight enables us to offer the optimum schedule so people in those communities can make same-day connections to more destinations throughout the North and North America," he said.
Meanwhile, the $27-million expansion to Rankin's airport is continuing.
Workers have completed most of the site work and the electrical. Paving will start in the next week or so, said Maley.
"There's a few more items that will be done next season but we're right on the schedule that we initiated a couple years ago," he said.
- with files from
Myles Dolphin
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