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Funding a reminder of local airport’s importance
The Columbia Valley Airport in Fairmont Hot Springs has recently been approved to receive $90,000 in funding from the provincial government through the Ministry of Transportation and Infrastructure.
The airport was included in this funding of regional airports across the province specifically because the airport hosts medevac services.
“The receipt of these funds highlights again the importance of the airport and the essential services it hosts for the Columbia Valley,” said Pascal van Dijk, President, Columbia Valley Airport Society. “This funding wouldn’t have been available without the airport being a host for medevac flights. The ability for medevac flights to efficiently serve the Columbia Valley affect us all.”
In the first quarter of 2021 the airport had nine medevac flights come through the airport and in 2020 the airport had 43 medevac flights in total. The number of flights through the airport continue to grow, year over year, with increased flights of all kinds including private, training, military and wildfire fighting.
The Columbia Valley Airport Society’s crew of committed and invaluable volunteers continues to support operations at the airport.
This new funding will support a variety of the airport’s operational expenses in 2021 and early 2022 including, utilities, annual maintenance of the runway, insurance and maintenance of buildings and airport facilities.
The Columbia Valley Airport Society is thankful for this additional funding which in addition to the Regional District of East Kootenays funding (for 2021) will allow the airport to continue with current or better levels of service.
The Columbia Valley Airport Society (CVAS) is the volunteer governing body for the Fairmont Hot Springs public airport (CYCZ) in Fairmont Hot Springs. The society serves to ensure the airport remains operational as an essential service for the Columbia Valley area (Canal Flats to Golden).
The airport opened in 1986, has a 6,000-foot long by 100-ft wide paved runway and is open year-round to landings from all aircraft, up to and including Boeing 737s.
The public airport offers parking and refuelling service and is manned during operating hours by volunteers who are also available on an on-call basis.
Lead image: Not only does the Columbia Valley Airport accommodate medevac flights, it has a long enough runway to also welcome forest fire fighting water bombers. Columbia Valley Airport Society photo
Columbia Valley Airport Society
