Dawson City airport to close for 1 week in May while runway is paved

The Dawson City airport will be closed for a week this springas the runway is paved.

The territorial government has budgeted$12 million to improve the Dawson airport, which was a campaign promise from the Liberals in 2016. Of that, $9.9 million will go towards the paving, and other work on the apron and taxiway.

Local businesses have long pushed for a paved runway, arguing that it would accommodate larger aircraft, reduceairfares and boosttourism.

"It is an important project for this government, and improving our airport infrastructure is critical if we're going to have goodeconomic development throughout this territory," said Highways and Public Works Minister Richard Mostyn in the legislature on Monday.

The tentative dates for the work are May 19 to 26, depending on the weather. No airplanes will be arriving at or leaving from the airport during that week, but helicopters willstill be able to land.

Mostynsaid the government is also taking steps to make sure Dawsonites are not put at risk during the temporary airport shutdown.

"That includes additional paramedics, and helicopter or ground transport to Mayoif necessary. We're also adding additional wildfire support, even though it is very early in the season," Mostyn said.

The opposition Yukon Party also talked about paving the runwaywhile itwasin power. But the NDP has questioned the project.

NDP Leader Liz Hanson said on Monday that it's not clear whether it's money well spent.

"We believe that making this decision, when the premier and finance minister has repeatedly advised Yukonerswe are in a scarce resource situation, based on a political campaign promise that he made, flies in the face of the facts," Hanson said.