Stelmach wades into airport debate

Alberta Premier Ed Stelmachhas waded into thedebate over the closure of Edmonton's City Centre Airport, sayinghe supportsEnvision Edmonton's recommendation that a provincialhealth council shouldreviewthe possible impacton medevac services.

Members of thepro-airport groupmet with Stelmach on Tuesday to deliver 20,000 signatures from Albertans living outside Edmonton who support keeping the City Centre Airport open.

"I made it very clear to Envision [Edmonton] andto Albertans that nothing moves until I'm assured that the medevac services, all options are discussed, and make sure that there is no compromise of the medevac services we have in the province of Alberta, and I'm serious on that point," Stelmach said after the meetingat thelegislature.

The signatures are in addition to more than 92,000collected during the group's summer petition drive targeting Edmonton voters.

Envision Edmontonis trying to force the city to hold a plebiscite on the future of the airport during the municipal election in October. The groupsaysclosing City Centre will compromise medevac services and could cost lives.

Mayor Stephen Mandelsaid the premiers support for a review of medevac services isnt different from what the city is concerned about.

"We dont disagree with that," he said."Weve always been of the same position. It shows very clearly that medevac isnt a real concern because medevac seems to be operating very well.

"So there is a dual message. And Im not sure what the premiers intention was. Hes always been very clear that its a municipal issue."

Medevac will run at City Centre Airport until it is moved to the Edmonton International Airport, Mandel said.

Hesaid he hasnt talked to Stelmach about the airports closure.

Group pleased with meeting

Chuck Allard, chairman of Envision Edmonton, said he was happy Stelmach met with his group something he had been trying to organize for some time.

"[Stelmach] is going to consider some of our things that we brought and he's going to come back and maybe adopt some of our recommendations hopefully," Allard said.

Allard's group maintains the closure is a provincial issue, not just a municipal one.

"This matter affects all Albertans and is a provincial matter. When Mayor Mandel and city councillors were asked about medevac they responded by quoting Alberta Health Services: 'no patient risk will be associated with use of the International.' That makes it a provincial matter. And we disagree profoundly with that conclusion," Allard said in a statement before the meeting.

Review could take 4 months

Dr. John Cowell, CEO of the Health Quality Council of Alberta, says the review would likely take two to four months.

Cowell expects the number of flights will be examined to see how many are carrying critically ill or injured patients who need medical treatment as soon as possible, comparedwithflightsbringing in patients for diagnostic procedures.

Even though the group is wading into a politically charged issue, Cowell says the analysis wouldbe performed withoutpreconceived notions.

"We come in always from a completely objective point of view," he said.

Mixed reaction

Edmonton city councillors were mixed in reaction toStelmach's support of thereview.

"I don't know what we're going to hear back that's any different from what we've been hearing so far," Coun. Ben Henderson said.

Coun. Kim Krushell said she has no problem with the idea of a study, but said Alberta Health Services didn't raise the medevac issue at public hearings on the closure last year.

"They've been given the opportunity and were given the opportunity to wade in and say whether they needed it when they had the three days of public hearings," she said. "And they said they didn't."

If the province decides it needs the airport open for medevac flights, then the city should be properly compensated for the land, Krushell added.

"There are costs associated with that land and there's potential for us to develop it and make money for our taxpayers."

Coun. Linda Sloan, who voted against the airport closure, welcomed the idea of the province's involvement, calling it "overdue."

"I welcome the province's engagement and their investigation not just on the medevac issue but on whether or not we really had jurisdiction as council to make that decision in the first place," she said.

City staff isverifying signatures on the petition. A plebiscite will be held if at least 78,000signatures are found to be valid.