Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Further to my Member's statement, the community of Fort Smith's concerns regarding narrowing of the airport has not been addressed. My question is: why are safety issues at the Fort Smith airport not being addressed?
Thank you, Member for Thebacha. Minister of Infrastructure.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Safety is our top priority in the operation and maintenance of the Northwest Territories transportation system, including the airports. Transport Canada sets the standards by which airports are designed and operated. The GNWT is responsible for constructing, operating, and maintaining airports to those standards. The GNWT is also responsible for reviewing airport infrastructure and planning for future operational and regulatory needs.
The recent projects undertaken at the Fort Smith airport, the installation of LED lighting and the rightsizing of the runway, were undertaken when the standards and regulations were set by Transport Canada and were designed and completed to industry and professional standards.
I would like to assure the Member that neither the safety nor the level of service at the Fort Smith airport has changed as a result of these projects. The GNWT maintains a safety management system, the SMS, for all of our 27 airports. At this time, there are no outstanding safety issues at the Fort Smith airport.
We continue to encourage individuals to report hazards and safety concerns through the SMS protocols. I can forward those protocols to the Member if she would like, and they are also available on the GNWT website. Thank you.
What was the point of spending $2.3 million on an airport runway that was operational and running fine?
The decision to replace the airside lighting and to narrow the runway at the Fort Smith airport was made based on current and future operational and regulatory needs. As part of ongoing airport planning, it was determined that the aging lighting system needed to be replaced. It was also determined that a 30-metre runway would meet federal regulations and would not affect the level of service at the Fort Smith airport. Because the lighting replacement project would require digging up sections of the runway, it made good sense to complete both projects at the same time.
When the Fort Smith airport was designed and built in 1957, 60 metres was a common width for paved runways. It was predicted at the time that future aircraft would be bigger and larger runways would be required. That is, in fact, not the case. Modern aircraft have improved performance, and the federal regulator has established that wider runways are not necessary. The cost to operate and maintain a 30-metre runway is significantly less than to operate and maintain a 60-metre runway. The cost to repair or overlay a 30-metre runway will also be less.
I would like to assure the Member that the decision to proceed with these projects was made with the safety of citizens in the front of our minds. The decision was also based on operational needs, minimizing costs to the Government of the Northwest Territories and to taxpayers, and ensuring ongoing eligibility for federal funding for future capital projects at the Fort Smith airport.
The new lights that were installed at the Fort Smith airport were not the Arctic kit that was supposed to be installed at the airport, as said in the July 8, 2019, letter from the former Minister of Infrastructure. My question is: when will this be addressed?
During the design phase it was determined that, due to the regional climate, Arctic kits were not required for the lighting at the Fort Smith airport; therefore, they were not included in the design. The Fort Smith airfield lighting is checked at least twice daily by maintenance staff at the airport and documented in accordance with our preventative maintenance processes, and it is operating to specification.
Thank you, Minister. Final supplementary, Member for Thebacha.
Mr. Speaker, senior management within the Department of Infrastructure still insists that this decision was given by Transport Canada. Will the Department of Infrastructure share this letter of direction from Transport Canada?
I would like to clarify that there was no decision or direction given by Transport Canada to narrow the runway. Transport Canada is responsible for establishing the regulations and standards. The current standards indicate that a 30-metre runway is required for the type of airport and service in Fort Smith, and I would be happy to share the Department of Infrastructure's copies of these standards with the Member.
Transport Canada also administers the Airport Capital Assistance Program. This is the program that the GNWT relies on for funding for construction and maintenance of its airport system. It is unlikely that Transport Canada would fund future pavement overlay or capital projects for a runway that was wider than the regulator's standard. The decision to proceed with these projects was made by the Department of Infrastructure and was based on the established standards' operational needs, and budget considerations.
I would like to say that I maybe did misspeak that to you earlier in saying it was a direction from Transport Canada, so I acknowledge that error. That was mine, being new to the role. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Minister. Oral questions. Member for Nunakput.
