SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE - A Yellowknife MLA is saying the territorial government missed its chance to voice concerns about how the closure of the Edmonton City Centre Airport will affect medevac flights out of the NWT.

Dave Ramsay, the MLA for Kam Lake said now that the airport has begun to shut down one of its two runways, the territory has missed its chance to weigh in on the issue.

"I don't think our government was anywhere to be found when those discussions were taking place," Ramsay said.

Ramsay told Yellowknifer the attempt he is aware of from the Department of Health to express concern about the issue came from letters which weren't written on ministerial letterhead; which he says means the communication was not official.

"This is going to have a detrimental effect on our ability to get our patients to care in the south," he said.

Minister of Health, Sandy Lee said the government did voice concerns to the City of Edmonton.

"We have expressed our concerns during their (the City of Edmonton's) process," she said. "We were part of the group that convinced them (the City of Edmonton) that they had to have a very clear medical transportation plan."

Lee said she doesn't think there is evidence that the partial closure of the airport will have a negative effect on NWT medevac flights.

When asked about specifics of the nature of communication with the city, she directed Yellowknifer to a spokesperson at the Edmonton International Airport, who did not respond by press time.

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