DEER LAKE From its humble beginnings as a 1,220-metre gravel strip back in 1955, the Deer Lake Regional Airport now has a fully operational 2,440-metre runway.
Past and present board members, former airport managers, councillors from around the western region and individuals representing businesses, travel agencies, airlines, contractors, consultants and staff attended the runway’s official opening ceremonies Thursday evening.
The funding for the runway extension project was announced in May 2009.
The well-being of Deer Lake, the western region and the province as a whole was in the minds of the audience as well as the guest speakers in attendance.
Senator Elizabeth Marshall spoke on behalf of the federal government, which along with the airport authority and the provincial government, cost-shared the $9-million investment in provincial air transportation.
“The construction of public infrastructure such as this runway extension project enhances safety for all passengers and helps our businesses prosper now and for generations to come,” she said.
Deer Lake Mayor Dean Ball said the benefits of the 610-metre runway extension will reach much farther than that.
“It’s certainly going to make a big difference to us as a municipality and us as a region,” he said. “This runway expansion ... what this opens up for the region is just phenomenal. ... It’s been long overdue and now we have to capitalize on it.”
Of the top 30 airports in Canada, Deer Lake Regional Airport was one of four with a runway length of 1830 metres, its length before the extension. The runway extension will improve maximum takeoff weight on longer routes, improve safety in the winter and summer months, improve operating conditions for aircrafts and develop new markets, routes and service opportunities.
“This is very important to western Newfoundland,” said Humber Valley MHA Darryl Kelly. “Not only does it provide significant employment to those that work here, but it’s significant for the business community in my district and neighbouring districts.”
Minister of Finance Tom Marshall attended the ceremony, speaking on behalf Tom Hedderson, minister of Transportation and Works. He said the airport authority has made it a focal point of its activity over the past number of years to develop passenger traffic in this area of the province.
“This upgrade will obviously increase capacity here, improve operating conditions,” Marshall said. “It’ll improve safety and it’ll help the airport develop new routes and new services and new market opportunities … It’s not only a hub for air travel in the region, but it’s also a key generator of economic activity on the west coast and indeed for the whole province.”
Just want to say that airlines notice which routes passengers like to travel more, and offer their services to meet that demand. You cannot make Air Canada, Westjet, or any other company increase their opperations to a destination when they know there just isn't the passenger traffic to support their business, never mind trying to attract new companies when existing ones are opperating at a minimal. Just about every major airline in Canada has provided service to and from the Stephenville Airport at some point, and if there was a demand, they would still be providing their services. Instead, these airlines realize that Deer Lake Airport has had INCREASED passenger traffic in the past decade (NOT declining) and therefore increase their services to meet that demand. The government is happy to invest money where they know it will benifit them in the long run. They may have given a hefty handout to YDF, but the millions of dollars that will be made in the region indirectly because of that handout to the airport is what makes it easier to give. Its quite simple actually. For all you "know it alls" out there who are going to try to call me out and say I'm wrong, stating your "statistics" I realize there are underlying factors flying around both airports that could be argued all day, but from a business point of view, this is pretty basic. By the way, the Town of Stephenville is a beautiful little community, but it is going through what a lot of rural comminities are going through by loosing business to larger markets. It is 2010 here and business practices have come a long way with the help of technology. There is just no saving YJT! To the Town of Stephenville: Try to be more innovative, broaden your horizons and hope for the best!