SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE - The mayor and a Yellowknife MLA were interviewed last week for a possible documentary about the closure of Edmonton's City Centre Airport. It will also examine what the closure means for Northern communities.

Mayor Gord Van Tighem is interviewed by Bob Dawe on Sept. 30 in Van Tighem's office. Dawe is compiling interviews with Northern leaders discussing the closure of the Edmonton City Centre Airport. - Tim Edwards/NNSL photo

"I'm just someone who's very concerned about the closure of the City Centre Airport in Edmonton," said Bob Dawe, who is heading the video project. He's an archaeologist by trade, but is taking up this endeavour because he feels passionately about the cause.

The City Centre Airport is the current destination of all medevac flights coming out of the North. When the flights land, an ambulance is waiting to take the patient to the hospital - a ride which only takes a few minutes given the airport's proximity to the Royal Alexandra Hospital and the Stollery Children's Hospital.

Edmonton city council voted last year to close the airport. This means medevac flights will be rerouted to Edmonton International Airport, which will add approximately 30 minutes to the trip. And, if there is bad weather the next closest airport will be in Calgary.

A firm closure date has not yet been set for the City Centre Airport.

Dawe has been interviewing mayors and residents of several communities, including several in Northern Alberta, and was in Yellowknife last Thursday to interview Mayor Gord Van Tighem and Yellowknife Centre MLA Robert Hawkins.

Dawe said he wants to make the people of Edmonton aware of the implications this closure will have on Northerners who rely on the City Centre Airport for timely emergency medical travel.

"Everywhere I've gone people are really passionate about this issue and they're angry because their voice hasn't been heard," said Dawe.

"I'm trying to help raise that voice so people pay attention and maybe do something about it."

Van Tighem told Dawe he considered Yellowknife to be an, albeit non-voting, constituent of Edmonton, and used the opportunity to be on camera to ask the people and city council of Edmonton to consider Yellowknife in this decision.

"When you're doing your planning it's good to consult with your constituency, and we feel we're part of the constituency of Edmonton," said Van Tighem.

"All that we're urging is that it be looked at very thoroughly, that the level of our medevac service not be detracted from."

Hawkins was also interviewed and reinforced that this closure needs to be thoroughly examined. He had a meeting scheduled to speak with Edmonton Mayor Stephen Mandel to discuss the issue.

Dawe said the videos, after some editing, will first be posted on YouTube and the Demand The Vote website, which is a site rallying against the airport closure. He wants a petition that was struck down last month by city council to be reconsidered.

After that, he wants to turn the interviews into a cohesive documentary which he hopes will present the case for communities outside of Edmonton that rely on the City Centre Airport.

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