BARRHEAD - The Whitecourt Airport tops the list of concerns Woodlands County councillors would like to talk to Alberta Transportation Minister Devin Dreeshen about.
Councillors instructed administration during their Feb. 14 Whitecourt meeting to attempt to set up a meeting with the minister during the Rural Municipalities (RMA) upcoming spring conference in mid-March in Edmonton to discuss provincial funding at the Whitecourt Airport (CYZ).
Specifically, they said they would like to discuss the municipality's Strategic Transportation Infrastructure Program (STIP) grant for upgrading the airport's 11-29 runway. The runway was last paved in 2013.
The province created STIP to help municipalities solve their infrastructure deficit, boost the economy, and create jobs in response to the pandemic.
It is estimated that the cost to pave and install the necessary lighting will cost over $7 million.
If successful, the STIP grant will cover about 75 per cent of the project's cost.
The RMA is an independent association comprising 69 of the counties and municipal districts of Alberta. Its purpose is to advocate for issues impacting rural municipalities at the provincial and federal levels.
Dreeshen's office sent out the invite in late January asking municipalities if they would like to meet with the minister, giving them until Feb. 16 to reply.
Later in the meeting, Whitecourt Central Coun. Alan Deane also told councillors about a meeting he, Reeve Dave Kusch and Whitecourt West Coun. John Burrows had with the Minister of Forestry and Parks Todd Lowen in Edmonton a week prior, in which they emphasized the need for the province to provide additional funding for the airport, given its importance to Alberta's wildfire fighting efforts as it serves as a fire suppression tanker base for the region.
"It was a good meeting, and I think we made the minister aware of the financial challenges we have at the airport, given we spend three times as much money on the airport than we do on policing," he said.
CAO Gordon Frank asked councillors if there were any additional topics other than the airport STIP funding that councillors would like to discuss with Dreeshen.
Whitcourt East Coun. Jeremy Wilhelm suggested they may want to discuss the condition of two bridges, the first being the Athabasca River Bridge on Highway 33, about two minutes south of the Hamlet of Fort Assiniboine, the other near Blue Ridge, that also crossed the Athabasca River on Highway 658 and was damaged by flooding.
Frank said Alberta Transportation replied that the province was coming up with a design for a new structure to replace the aging bridge near Fort Assiniboine and that it would be about two years before construction would begin.
Wilhelm asked administration if they felt the bridge would last two years, saying on Aug. 10, the bridge, which is nearing 70 years old, part of the bridge's concrete in the middle of the driving lanes gave way, leaving a hole roughly three-and-a-half to four-feet wide and six-feet long on the bridge. The bridge has since been repaired.
"Alberta Transportation is aware of the concern about the bridge and is doing its due diligence to ensure the travelling public is safe," Frank replied.
As for the bridge near Blue Ridge, he said Alberta Transportation is working on the abutments and other repairs.
Barry Kerton, TownandCountryToday.com
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