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The Yellowknife Airport's new Combined Services Building opened on Aug. 5. The building houses the airport's fire department and also serves as a storage space for facility vehicles. - Ian Vaydik/NNSL photo

SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
The key words during the opening ceremony for the Yellowknife Airports new Combined Services Building were "more space."

The design of the $20.7-million facility earned an award of merit from the Northwest Territories and Nunavut Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists in May. It was constructed with 60 per cent funding from the federal government and 40 per cent from the GNWT. Delia Chesworth, acting director for airport facilities with the GNWT, said the new building replaces an outdated 50-year-old facility and features a number of improvements.

"It is hoped that more industrial and commercial opportunities will open up in Yellowknife in the future as a result of our improved efficiency," she said.

The building, which opened Aug. 5, is divided in half. It houses the airport fire department on one side and provides storage for airport vehicles and mechanical maintenance on the other.

Chesworth said the spacious new building - which also houses equipment maintenance facilities and administrative space for training, trades and fire hall staff - gives workers a chance to perform their jobs in a comfortable, modern space.

"There are so many improvements compared to the old building, but above all, the space is fresh and open, with much more room to work in, and this means everyone can get their jobs done faster and more comfortably," she said.

A new sand storage facility on the premises also means that runway maintenance during the winter will be easier.

"The sand is supposed to remain very dry so it can be applied properly, and now we have the means to do the job well," she said.

"We have better facilities now for storing equipment and cleaning it, and it's easier to house the larger vehicles now that we have bigger bays for them. Beforehand, we had to store them all in one place, and it's made a world of difference to the workers here," she said.

Bill Sundberg, apprentice heavy duty mechanic with the GNWT, couldn't agree more, stating a large door on the new facility will allow vehicles to move in and out with ease for cleaning or maintenance.

"This new place is great. The vehicle bay is double the size and we've gone from 1,800 square feet in the old building to over 3,200 square feet in here."

Sundberg added the new building's equipment, such as lifts which allow crews to hoist vehicles like fire trucks or semi trucks, as well as an industrial crane, which can lift items like heavy motors, means he can breathe a bit easier when

he is in the shop.

"We're really focusing on being environmentally-friendly around here. We no longer use solvents when we clean and our new equipment-cleaning facility means we can cut out a day's worth of cleaning equipment and shorten it to just 15 minutes. It's great," he said.

"We also now have a proper exhaust system that makes life easier on everyone," he said.

Airport firefighter Kristjan Goodman said the exhaust system in the fire hall garage is an instrumental part of the new building's design.

"You can hook the trucks up to the system and it keeps the air clean."

Chesworth added that other improvements, such as heated flooring and the addition of extra windows, puts Yellowknife's airport crew at the top of their game.

"Winter is going to be much easier for our workers this year," she said.

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