Derek Neary
Northern News Services
Fort Simpson (Jun 15/01) - Airport consultants and GNWT officials say Fort Simpson's air services should be moved to the Department of Transportation airport.
Kevin Hodgins, an engineer with primary consultant Ferguson, Simek, Clark, told village council last week that the government airport's future is being hindered by the privately-run in-town airstrip and the three separate helicopter landing pads in the community.
Unless that volume of traffic is concentrated at the airport, which is already losing money, the GNWT won't invest an estimated $1.5 million for a new terminal building, he said.
If support remains for the in-town airstrip, the consultants will likely recommend shutting down the GNWT airport, Hodgins told the Drum following the meeting.
"They're spending a tonne of money there and getting one flight a day," he said. "That island airport could not operate without the back-up of the main, certified, Transport Canada-regulated, GNWT-owned, principle airport."
Hodgins added that if the in-town airstrip is the only one that remains, "the village, I believe, would be screaming to the GNWT: 'We need a safer, all-weather, out-of-the-flood-plain, longer, paved strip to support development.'"
Mayor Tom Wilson acknowledged the dilemma but noted that it wouldn't be fair to force private charter companies to cover the cost of moving and have to pay landing fees at the government airport.
Hodgins suggested the GNWT may be willing to offer some incentives to help with relocation, but he couldn't make any promises on their behalf.
Deputy mayor Bob Hanna said it would cost all residents and tourists more money to have to travel to and from the government airport, which is 16 kilometres from the community.
Jim Winsor, director of airports for the GNWT, said that safety is the greatest concern.
"I can't say that (private) airport is unsafe, but I do know that there are things that wouldn't happen on ours," Windsor told council, referring specifically to "incursions," or pedestrian and animal traffic on the runway.
Winsor added that centralizing air services could also result in enticing more industry-related traffic to the government airport and generate other related commercial activity, such as a canteen, taxi services and tourism-related opportunities.
"We don't want to compete with business, we want to enhance it," he said.
A questionnaire on the issue was distributed to council and is available at certain locations in the community. The consultants expect to have the draft report completed by July, according to Hodgins.
