Timmins officials say newly paved runways at the airport have potential to attract Caribbean carriers
The City of Timmins can hear the wild blue yonder calling its name now that the re-paving of its runways and taxiways is complete.
The COVID-19 pandemic and deteriorating infrastructure have been some bumps in the road for the Timmins Victor M Power airport, but now that the $9.5 million rehabilitation and resurfacing of its approximately 40 kilometres of roadways there is done, officials are hoping it'll be smooth sailing for a while.
"737s were in here before we started this work last year," said Dave Dayment, the airport manager.
He said they charter forest firefighting personnel around.
"We have Hercules coming in here doing search and rescue ... a Hercules could be well over 100,000 pounds. So when we upgraded the runway and added (more asphalt) to it, it gave us a little longer lifespan," Dayment said.
The federal government funded 60 per cent of the paving job and the airport paid the balance. The airport is operated by the City of Timmins, but it's on its own to pay its bills.
This is why Dayment said it's import business resume as soon as possible and he said the new runways will help it land more contracts.
"A couple years we’ve been looking at to get some funding to do ... a land use document for future planning. If someone was to show up and wanted to build a hanger; ground base maintenance facility of some kind; industrial of some kind ... we need to get an inventory of what we’re capable of doing," he said.
Timmins Mayor George Pirie agreed and said the Timmins Economic Development Corporation is also working on diversification plans for the city.
"I think you’ve heard me talk about the possibility of having carriers come here to go into the Caribbean and to get into other locations and with Timmins being the hub within northeastern Ontario, northeastern Quebec ... we have to have the best possible airport.," Pirie said.
Pre-pandemic, the Timmins Victor M Power Airport checks in approximately 180,000 passengers a year from around the region on: passenger, cargo, evacuation, and air ambulance flights, to name a few.
Airport officials look forward to seeing additional flights when pandemic restrictions loosen, however they say that will depend on whether or not people resume travelling again. Currently, Dayment said most flights are mining related.
He said the airport's next big project will be to develop the 20-year strategic plan.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Fluid in eye cells can 'boil' if you watch the eclipse without protection: expert
Millions of people in parts of Eastern and Atlantic Canada will be able to see the rare solar eclipse happening on April 8. But they should only look up if they have proper eye protection, experts say.
He didn't trust police but sought their help anyway. Two days later, he was dead
Jameek Lowery was among more than 330 Black people who died after police stopped them with tactics that aren’t supposed to be deadly, like physical restraint and use of stun guns, The Associated Press found.
CRA no longer requiring 'bare trust' reporting in 2023 tax return
The Canada Revenue Agency announced Thursday it will not require 'bare trust' reporting from Canadians that it introduced for the 2024 tax season, just four days before the April 2 deadline.
Being harassed at work? What to consider when deciding what to do next
If you've been the victim of workplace harassment, it can be difficult to feel you're not alone - and even more difficult to know where to go with a complaint.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
Grandparent scam: London, Ont., senior beats fraudsters not once, but twice
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.
Half of Canadians support TikTok ban, with U.S. concerns 'trickling' north: poll
A new poll indicates 51 per cent of Canadians support banning the social media app TikTok, after a U.S. bill aiming to do just that passed in the House of Representatives.
Where is the worst place for allergy sufferers in Canada?
The spring allergy season has started early in many parts of Canada, with high levels of pollen in some cities already. Experts weigh in on which areas have it worse so far this season.
More unauthorized products for skin, sexual enhancement, recalled: Here are the recalls of this week
Health Canada and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency recalled various items this week, including torches, beef biltong and unauthorized products related to skin care and sexual enhancement.