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OBITUARIES - DEATH NOTICES - CARDS OF THANKS
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| Last updated at 2:31 AM on 05/11/09 |
Despite adversity Stephenville Airport Citizens Committee vows to keep trying 
STEPHENVILLE
FRANK GALE
The Western Star
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| Bill Hynes, chairman of the Stephenville Airport Citizens Committee, addresses those in attendance at Wednesday evening’s public meeting.
— Star photo by Frank Gale |
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Despite receiving some letters and comments aimed to shoot down a fundraising campaign for Stephenville airport, Bill Hynes said his committee will continue to try.
The chairman of the Stephenville Airport Citizens Committee was speaking at a public meeting at College of the North Atlantic on Wednesday evening with about 50 people in attendance.
He said every donation is important, no matter what the size, and a statement the people of southwestern Newfoundland want to keep Stephenville airport in operation.
“While some people believe we won’t succeed in our campaign, I want to prove them wrong,” Hynes told those in attendance. “We are not going to get our airport operating right if we don’t fight for it.”
While some people question why a fundraiser for an airport is appropriate, he said this fundraiser will help keep jobs, keep people in the area and help the town, and area’s financial situation.
The public meetings are being held to keep the public updated on what the airport citizens committee is doing.
Mayor Tom O’Brien, who was at the meeting and spoke briefly, praised the work the citizens committee is doing and said council is behind them and the airport.
He said the business plan is still being worked on, but is taking longer than expected because of the audited statements they have to go through. He said there is confusion in the statements, which date all the way back to 2005.
“We’re pushing it as hard as we can and hope in the not-too-distant future it will be ready,” O’Brien said. “We need to identify where the airport is today and move it forward, and it’s likely there will be rougher days ahead before they get better.”
Hynes spoke briefly about the committee’s meeting with KAZ Aviation and the importance of the revision clause, which the company had agreed to. He said their committee went a step further and asked for such a revision clause to transfer over to any company that would buy the airport from KAZ if such a deal takes place in the first place.
Hynes said the company assured it would still be interested in operating a fixed-base operation at the airport even if there was no takeover of operations by them.
Weblinks: savestephenvilleairport.ca
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05/11/09
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Reality Check from Stephenville, NL writes: They can fundraise and devour up taxpayer money all they want but I still have to drive to Deer Lake to catch a flight to the mainland. Lets face it folks the other two levels of government give up on this airport years ago and with Deer Lake so close this airports days are numbered. And surely the town council has a better way to spend taxpayers money.
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| Posted 05/11/2009 at 9:04 AM | Alert an Editor | Link to comment |
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Jack MaDore from Ontario writes: Hey reality check,what are you,brain dead?A short drive to Deer Lake?Where you driving from?Last time I drove it,it was well over an hour..If driving to D.L.Airport at 2 or 3 in the morning is a short drive,You need to give ur head a shake...In order to catch a flight,one has to make the trip at all ungodly hours or get a hotel the night before..If that's good for you..Go 4 it..I'd much rather take it from home..STEPHENVILLE..Oh and by the way..Move your family to Deer Lake..You won't have so far to drive.
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| Posted 05/11/2009 at 10:17 AM | Alert an Editor | Link to comment |
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Chistopher Colbourne from France writes: Quote from Reality Check:
Lets face it folks the other two levels of government give up on this airport years ago ........
Yes Reality Check, who won't put his/her own name on the post, and we all know that governments never make mistakes either, correct?
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| Posted 05/11/2009 at 10:49 AM | Alert an Editor | Link to comment |
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STOP THE RACKET STOP DANNY WILLIAMS from NL writes: You have 2 MHA's in the area what are they doing for you? Not a dam thing that I can see. Yet you keep electing them. Your getting what Danny wants you to have an nothing more. You people should be use to that after 6 years of the Williams dictatorship.
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| Posted 05/11/2009 at 12:26 PM | Alert an Editor | Link to comment |
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Hopeless In from Alberta, AB writes: I applaude the people of Stephenville that will not let this rest. I live in Alberta and a trip home is nothing short of a NIGHTMARE. The last time I arrived in Deer Lake at 2am I had the choice of either getting a hotel room or lounge around the airport because the car rental companies couldn't be bothered to remain open till the flights arrived. Then, I have to be in Deer Lake at 6am in the morning to get a good price to return! I don't know about the rest of you, but being a born and bread Newfoundlander, I've been taught to not drive at night! Stephenville has the population and the facility to support this airport and I hope they DONT GIVE UP!!!
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| Posted 05/11/2009 at 12:39 PM | Alert an Editor | Link to comment |
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Hopeless In from Alberta, AB writes: I applaude the people of Stephenville that will not let this rest. I live in Alberta and a trip home is nothing short of a NIGHTMARE. The last time I arrived in Deer Lake at 2am I had the choice of either getting a hotel room or lounge around the airport because the car rental companies couldn't be bothered to remain open till the flights arrived. Then, I have to be in Deer Lake at 6am in the morning to get a good price to return! I don't know about the rest of you, but being a born and bread Newfoundlander, I've been taught to not drive at night! Stephenville has the population and the facility to support this airport and I hope they DONT GIVE UP!!!
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| Posted 05/11/2009 at 12:39 PM | Alert an Editor | Link to comment |
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Derek from CBRK, NL writes: I applaud the citizens for doing this. Also, I applaud who ever is responsible for paving all of main street Stephenville. What a magnificent strip of asphalt. Can you please send them to Corner Brook? Our roads look like a patchwork quilt. What a novel idea, paving an entire street!
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| Posted 05/11/2009 at 1:08 PM | Alert an Editor | Link to comment |
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Dave from Moncton, NB writes: Well...Hopeless In from Alberta! I have one question for ya. If you couldn't get a room at the Deer Lake motel whose fault would it be? The Deer Lake airports problem! Get over it man! Stop blaming other people for you incompetence and take responsibility for your own actions. If you can't make reservations and plan your travels better, then look at hiring a travel agent so you will have someone to legitimately blame. This way you get what you pay for. I used to work there and I know for a fact that if you had reservations with a said car rental agency then they would wait for their customers to arrive before they left for the night. Lets face it; these companies are not going to pay their staff to hang around for hours hoping to secure a possible sale. The arrangements made with the travelers and car rental staff is not the airports responsibility.
As for your flight timings and traveling at night you are the one who booked these flights... say no more. Again it is the service providers’ responsibility (The Air line companies) to provide more convenient timings. Not the airports.
I will stop at this and say Anything worth keeping is worth fighting for so hats off to Stephenville in fighting to keep it alive.
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| Posted 05/11/2009 at 6:44 PM | Alert an Editor | Link to comment |
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Observer from MB writes: I tire easily of people who sit in the comfort of their homes and bang out e-mails complaining of driving to Deer Lake to take a flight to the mainland while downplaying the efforts of others to enhance operations at the Stephenville Airport. Reality Check seems to think that without government involvement nothing can survive or prosper. It is that type of attitude that has hampered the progress of too many communities. My question to reality check and other similar minded people, is what have you done or what are you doing to help the Stephenville Airport? If the answer is nothing, then you have forfeited your right to complain.
As a frequent traveler to the west coast of Newfoundland I have a vested interest in the operation of the Stephenville Airport. I have put together a fund-raising proposal which I will be presenting next week to the Stephenville Airport Citizens Committee. With the stated support from the various communities for the Stephenville Airport, my proposal could easily raise several hundred thousand dollars.
I also tire easily of people like Stop the Racket who hijack every topic as their personal soap box. If you have a reasonable comment to make regarding the Stephenville Airport then please do so following this column. For any other topic write a letter to the editor.
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| Posted 05/11/2009 at 6:53 PM | Alert an Editor | Link to comment |
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from airport to paving from NL writes: hey Derek off the topic but it is a nice peice of asphalt, isn't it?? I drive to CB regularly and have to say your council has to stop they patch jobs. Even by Murphy's Square this year they put the contracts out in patches. Time to tell them to do the job right the first time and that includes fixing old water lines.
West Valley is done (thank god). I got through today and it looks real good. Maybe the same contractor did that job because it looks like a thorough job!!!
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| Posted 05/11/2009 at 9:12 PM | Alert an Editor | Link to comment |
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Charles Bachman from Saint John, NB writes: He said the business plan is still being worked on, but is taking longer than expected because of the audited statements they have to go through. He said there is confusion in the statements, which date all the way back to 2005. we have been hearing now for months, that the business plan is coming....then I read , that there is confusion in the statements! , what does this really mean.... does it mean,,, books are being cooked...money missing..all seems a little odd to me.... and how big of an issue is this... i think when someone makes a statement like that, or it is reported in the media... we have to know excalty what that means...with all the folks and levels of Goverment , that are engaged in this process....someone needs to be very clear to the taxpayers, of NL and the rest of Canada..what is going on hear... no organization that has engaged a 3rd party organization to create a plan, should have to wait this long.... i just hope that we do not discover that missmanagement, of resources, and tax payers money is what is killing this airport...and I hope the good people of Stephenville do not miss out on this great oppertuity, because of this stuff... Just seems pretty fishy to me....we are all missing a part of the story...if I hired a company to write a BP...and i did not have it in my hands now... they would be fired.... somebody needs to really lift the sheets up and have a good hard look at what is going on here....am i the only one who sees this ?
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| Posted 06/11/2009 at 9:28 AM | Alert an Editor | Link to comment |
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Hopeless In Alberta from Alberta writes: Well Dave. I did have a car reserved, BY THE WAY, and I did stay at a hotel BY THE WAY...and NO-they don't wait around for the flight to come in because they say Air Canada is late too often to justify having a person staffed.
my point is, travelling to Deer Lake is INCONVENIENT and not to mention expensive with all the added expense! And, as for my choices of when I travel, well, sorry but I have a job and other commitments that doesn't afford me the luxury of doing whatever I want, whenever I want so yes, I am at the mercy of crap companies like Air Canada to get me where I need to go.
Thanks for firming up what I always thought about assumptions though.
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| Posted 06/11/2009 at 12:40 PM | Alert an Editor | Link to comment |
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Paul from Stephenville, NFLD writes: The sad reality of the Stephenville
Airport is politics. In my twenty years in aviation, I've seen many airports close. In this case, it's Stephenville vs Deerlake. Deerlake airport has had millions of tax paying dollars put into airport terminal updates, runway extensions, security, etc. This was due to an already airline presence and commitment. Humber Valley Resort being only 20 min away, the private jets from around the word will all come with the wealthy to visit their million dollar mansions. Stephenville is left with an aging old terminal, badly in need of repair tarmac and security fence replacement. It would cost millions and millions to bring our airport up to standard. The federal and provincial government see this and without their support, we're left with asking for donations, and praying for the odd diversion fuel stop. In order to upgrade and keep our airport going we need at least four large aircraft movements per day with full fuel top ups and government support. This is only my opinion. Thanks to everyone trying to support our town.
Paul
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| Posted 21/11/2009 at 10:10 AM | Alert an Editor | Link to comment |
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