Skip to main content

Grace Lake Airport and its future

Grace Lake Airport July 11, 2017 during my visit

When I was in The Pas two weeks ago, I was able to visit the Grace Lake Airport.  This is the airport that the Conservative government said they wanted to close.  However, this is an important airport which is very close to the community of The Pas and there are considerable reasons for it to stay open.

1) It is the hub airport for Missinippi Air, an important northern airline which provides air services in the north including medical flights going to and from The Pas. 

2)  A reason for closing the Grace Lake Airport was that the cost of operations have been more than the revenue generated so that the province has covered these extra costs in recent years.   Missinippi Air is now providing dollars to cover the extra cost of operating Grace Lake Airport above the existing revenue generated and so this is no longer a reason to close Grace Lake Airport. 

3) The Town of The Pas does have another airport which it operates at Clearwater Lake.   But this airport is much further from The Pas and there are considerable extra costs in paramedic services for transporting people to and from The Clearwater Lake airport.  A taxi ride to the Clearwater Lake airport costs $80 for example, while a taxi ride to the Grace Lake airport is much cheaper.


Though opinion is divided, from my discussions with many people in The Pas, it appears to me that with the operating costs now being fully covered because of the action of Missinippi Air there is no reason to close Grace Lake Airport, and every reason to keep it open so that people in The Pas and the adjacent Opaskwayak Cree Nation can be served well.  

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Comparison between Manitoba and South Dakota shows dramatic impact of Physical Distancing

Manitoba implemented physical distancing measures in mid-March.  South Dakota has still not made physical distancing mandatory.   The result is a dramatic difference in the incidence of covid-19 viral infections between the two jurisdictions.   This graph shows the number of people with Covid-19 infections from March 27 to April 14.  Manitoba ( red line )  started leveling off about April 4 and has seen only a small increase in Covid-19 infections since then.   South Dakota ( blue line )   has seen a dramatic increase in Covid-19 infections since April 4.  Those who are skeptical of the impact of physical distancing in Manitoba should look at this graph! Data are from the Johns Hopkins daily tabulations
21 comments
Read more

Manitoba Liberal accomplishments

  Examples of Manitoba Liberal accomplishments in the last three years Ensured that 2,000 Manitoba fishers were able to earn a living in 2020   (To see the full story click on this link ). Introduced a bill that includes retired teachers on the Pension Investment Board which governs their pension investments. Introduced amendments to ensure school aged children are included in childcare and early childhood education plans moving forward. Called for improvements in the management of the COVID pandemic: ·          We called for attention to personal care homes even before there was a single case in a personal care home. ·            We called for a rapid response team to address outbreaks in personal care homes months before the PCs acted.  ·          We called for a science-based approach to preparing schools to   improve ventilation and humidity long before the PCs acted. Helped hundreds of individuals with issues during the pandemic including those on social assistance
Post a Comment
Read more

We need a more precise and detailed provincial plan to address the coronoavirus - Covid-19

With increasing evidence that the coronavirus Covid-19 is spreading globally, it is important that Manitoba have a clear plan to deal with a number of critical issues.  Having a clear plan will reduce people's anxiety and allow people to better plan individually.  So far the Pallister government either has not fully planned for Covid-19, or it has not released its plan.  We put out a press release this morning calling for the release of such a clear plan by the province.  Manitoba Liberals: The Time for a Coronavirus Plan is Now WINNIPEG – With new coronavirus cases emerging in South Korea, Italy and elsewhere around the world, Manitoba Liberals say the Manitoba Government needs to show they are ready with a plan to ensure Manitobans stay as safe as possible in the likely case that the virus reaches Manitoba. The virus has been spreading around the world, with 82,000 cases and nearly 3,000 deaths. While it started in China, there have been recent outbreaks in South Kore
1 comment
Read more