Three Vancouver Island airports given funding boost from province

B.C.’s smaller airports — including three on Vancouver Island — are getting an $11-million injection from the province.

The province’s B.C. Air Access Program, which helps fund facilities that serve fewer than one million passengers a year, will support 26 upgrades at two dozen airports throughout the province this year.

The Campbell River Airport is receiving $996,100 to install new fuel-storage systems.

The Tofino-Long Beach Airport is receiving $271,700 to add a back-up generator.

The Comox Valley Airport is getting $220,000 to replace a diesel ground power unit with an electric unit.

While airports fall under federal jurisdiction, they’re important to everything from firefighting to tourism, economic growth in remote areas and health-care delivery, the province says.

Since 2017, the air access program has committed more than $63 million in grants to infrastructure projects at 71 air facilities.

Among the major improvements this year are runway improvements at Kamloops, Castlegar and Terrace; an emergency heliport upgrade for the Metlakatla First Nation; and fuel-storage improvements at four locations to support wildfire aircraft operations.

Dan Coulter, minister of state for infrastructure and transit, said airports play a key role in bringing together communities, and provide the vital links that keep goods moving and the economy strong.

“This provincial support will help our regional airports with a wide range of upgrades that will increase safety, reliability and capacity for the services that British Columbians rely on, including access to health care and support for firefighting,” he said.