Hall Beach airport to get $10M upgrade to runway and lighting

The airport in Hall Beach, Nunavut, is getting a nearly $10-million upgrade, funded by the federal government.

Deb Schulte, parliamentary secretary for the minister of national revenue, made the announcement on Tuesday in Iqaluit, on behalf of Canada's minister of transport.

"It's an economic development driver, it's [the]safety of the travelling public, it's there for medevac, so this [airport] is the hub of this community, so it's really important to make sure that it's safe, and that it's enhanced," she said.

The airport's gravel runway and taxiway will be redone. The gravel will be removed, the surface evened out and new granular material laid down.

Its lighting will also be improved. New edge lighting for the runway will be installed as will runway identification lighting, and illuminated wind cones to help guide planes in to land.

The main purpose of the upgrades is to improve safety, especially during the dark of winter.

Schulte says the work will also provide work for residents of the community.

To get the money the airport had to apply to the federal fund, and in order to be eligible it needed to have more than 1,000 passengers a year, and have regularly scheduled flights, according to Schulte.

This is the first time the Hall Beach airport will get money from Transport Canada'sAirports Capital Assistance Program it will get $9,973,717.

The money is now available to the airport, Schulte said, when construction starts is up to the airport's project plan.

Yellowknife Airport upgrades

On Sunday, it was announced that the Yellowknife Airport will also be getting $3 million in upgrades.

The federal government will spend $2.5 million on new lights and wind direction indicators on the main runway,also from the Airports Capital Assistance Program.

The territorial government is contributingabout $375,000toward the project.

Infrastructure Minister Wally Schumann said the funding will do more than strengthen airport infrastructure.

"These important improvements will lower energy costs, build on the safety of N.W.T. visitors and residents," he said.

The Yellowknife Airport project is scheduled to be completed in about two years.