Provincial Grants help small Airports!

Courtesy of the Government of BC:

Communities that rely upon regional airports, heliports and water aerodromes provincewide will benefit from funding provided through the Province of B.C.’s Air Access Program.

“Through the B.C. Air Access Program, we’re supporting upgrades to airports that will improve access for vital communities across our province,” said the Hon. Mike Farnworth, BC's Minister of Transportation and Transit. “These improvements to our rural and regional airports will help keep British Columbians connected and our economy on the move.”

This year, the Province is investing $6.2 million through the BC Air Access Program (BCAAP) to support 16 airport upgrades throughout B.C., prioritizing the needs of local communities.

Projects include:

• runway improvements in Comox, Courtenay and Vanderhoof;
• a permanent heliport to serve the isolated community of Tipella, supporting air ambulance and visits by medical practitioners;
• wildlife-exclusion fencing at Fort St. James;
• upgraded weather monitoring at Fairmont Hot Springs; and
• lighting and fuel system upgrades at several airports to improve safety.

“From wildfire suppression to air-ambulance operations, from high-value tourism to connecting Indigenous and rural communities within our province and beyond, the B.C. Air Access Program supports our economy and society,” said Cathy Press, chair, BC Aviation Council.

B.C. is home to more than 300 public airports, heliports and water aerodromes that connect people and their communities, support the economy and help keep people safe. 

While airports are under federal jurisdiction, the Province recognizes the importance of smaller airports to their communities. Since 2017, including this announcement, BCAAP has committed more than $70 million in grants to infrastructure projects at 80 air facilities.

The program is open to facilities that serve fewer than one million passengers per year. BCAAP has an open intake for all eligible applicants every year throughout November and December.

Learn More:

For more information about aviation infrastructure funding and cost-sharing, visit:
https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/transportation/funding-engagement-permits/funding-grants/aviation-infrastructure-funding

A backgrounder follows

Backgrounder:

Air facilities in the following communities have received funding through the BC Air Access Program for 2025-26:

100 Mile House – $14,401 for runway safety improvements

Alert Bay – $35,000 for a facility master plan

Burns Lake – $802,297 for a fuel system upgrade

Comox – $2 million to expand the runway apron

Courtenay – $66,300 to rehabilitate the taxiway and runway

Dawson Creek – $90,153 to repair airfield lighting

Fairmont Hot Springs – $48,688 to upgrade weather monitoring

Fort St. James – $310,727 for wildlife-exclusion fencing

Mackenzie – $46,269 to install motorized gates and upgrade terminal doors

Masset – $392,883 to replace a refueller truck

Nanaimo – $74,630 for a lighting and electrical upgrade

Prince George – $469,480 to upgrade runway lighting

Smithers – $35,000 for a facility master plan

Tipella – $1.2 million to build a permanent heliport

Williams Lake – $233,127 to replace fuel-dispensing cabinets

Vanderhoof – $366,465 to widen the runway ends