Improvements At Meadow Lake Airport Complete

Friday, September 08, 2006 at 15:07

A $2.5-million upgrade at the Meadow Lake Airport is expected to enhance the province’s capacity to fight forest fires.

Resurfacing on the runways, aprons and taxiways was finished last week, and the airport has since been re-opened to air traffic.

As part of the re-surfacing project, the air tanker apron and adjacent taxiways were strengthened to provide a higher pavement load rating. The government says this was necessary to accommodate Saskatchewan’s new land-based air tanker used to fight forest fires.

Environment Minister John Nilson says the ability to stage the larger and heavier Convair 580a at the Meadow Lake base means they are able to deliver 33 per cent more fire retardant in 33 per cent less time.

Meanwhile, local MLA Maynard Sonntag is also enthused about how the improvements will impact the expected increased traffic of flights to and from Fort McMurray.

Meadow Lake is one of several communities in northwest Saskatchewan that is entertaining the idea of becoming a bedroom community for Alberta’s oilsands capital.