SECTION @ Rail relocation CREWS were back at work on ihe Sande overpass last week. They were moving the guardrail to the east side of the new cement sidewalk. The rall had to be dismantied in sections then lifted using a spe- cialized crane and set down in its new location: where it was secured. SARAH A. ZIMMERMAN PHOTO TERRACE Extension considered key for future The Terrace Standard, Wednesday, March 26, 2003 - B1 [preecntaerooren TANDARD Community - - Gov't cash eyed for runway THE PROVINCIAL gav- ernment is being asked to chip in as much as $800,000 for a proposed runway extension at the airport here. The figure comes from a new provincial program in which it l contribute up to one-third of the cost: of airport and port improve- ments, says airport man- ager Rick Reed. He said the $30 million, three-year program is so new there are no applica- tion forms yet. The airport’s governing society has already hired a Vancouver consulting firm to put together the busi- ness case for the proposed $2.5 million extension, said Reed. “They'll want to know what the economic bene- fits are,” said Reed of the province, He cautioned that the project which, if approved, would add 1,500 feet lead- ing north of the current end of the 6,000 foot runway. Airport officials say the key to the facility’s growth and long term economic prospects rests with a longer runway to attract larger passenger and cargo carriers. The more grants or other monies that can be gathered, the less the soc- iety will. have to finance, Reed said. As il stands now, the. society estimates an in- crease in-traffic derived from the extension will provide enough extra reve- nue to avoid raising the current $19 passenger user fee, That's based on the pro- jection of more traffic based on Westjet flying into Terrace from Vancou- ver once an extension is competed. It’s also based on the premise that having West jet in Terrace will lure in people who would other- wise use the Smithers and - Prince Rupert airports. Even though the pro-. - spect of Westjet coming to ‘Terrace has been bandied about, Reed says there. is ho arrangement commit- ting Westjet to Terrace if the society first extends the runway. And even if there is no increase in traffic to bring in money, the society’ esti- mates it would have to raise the user fee by $3 to finance the runway exten- sion. , BEEBE IN OTHER airport finan- cial news, Reed estimates the society should balance its books for the fiscal year ending next Monday, Earlier this year it was running a deficit in the $375,000 range it faced an unanticipated -$500,000 cost to clear and level land for last year’s instru- ment landing system pro- ject. Although NavCanada, the agency which runs na- vigation systems, said it would pay $1 million for the system, it wouldn’t pay for levelling the land be- side the runway to permit the system to work effect- ively. The airport then had to dip into a reserve invest- ment account and has been restoring that to health ever since, said Rick Reed Reed. “We hope that we will break even,” he said, , Airport plans other work as well THE SOCIETY which governs the airport hopes some of the $2.435 million in projects it wants to do will get money from the federal government. Airport manager Rick Reed said word could come as soon as next month. The society wants $400,000 for improved. runway _ lights, $400,000 to improve the heating and ventilation system at the main terminal, $800,000 to pave one of the runway aprons, $400,000 for two heavy duty plow trucks and $435,000 for a large snowblower. “If I had to guess, I’d say we're more likely to get ap- proval for the snowblower, trucks and apron,” said Reed. “These are items important to safe operation.” The money comes from a federal program providing 95 per cent of the cost of major capital projects. ‘The re- maining five per cent is taken care of by an airport’s governing society. Federal assistance to airports stems from a program created in the 1990s at the same time as the facilities were turned over to local, not-for profit socicties. As it is, the Terrace airport in the past several years has used the assistance program for runway resurfacing. 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