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CRIA earns Silver Wings Award
The Canadian Rockies International Airport (CRIA) has earned a prestigious Silver Wings Award for aviation market development, community outreach and environmental initiatives.
City of Cranbrook Mayor Wayne Stetski announced CRIA’s B.C. Aviation Council award Oct. 17 during a joint Cranbrook and District and Kimberley and District Chamber of Commerce mixer at the Pickled Bean Café.
Stetski pointed out that CRIA rose to the top and received honours along with Victoria, Vancouver and Abbotsford airports/operations, which are much larger centres than Cranbrook and area.
CRIA manager Tristen Chernove (pictured above, right, with some of his staff), reported that the airport was nominated for the award by Gordon Turner, associate dean Aerospace Campus with the British Columbia Institute of Technology.
“The nomination speaks of our accomplishments in the three pillars of sustainability,” Chernove said. Those three pillars are: environmental, economic and social sustainability.
He informed the mixed chamber gathering of the initiatives the airport has undertaken that keyed them winning the award.
Environmental: The airport has begun a recycling program in the terminal; CRIA is the first airport in B.C. to install waterless urinals; a green cleaning program using negative ion technology and UV in conjunction with natural products to replace harmful chemicals; solar hot water panel installation; curbside idle free zone; air quality monitoring for staff and tenants.
Economic: “The nomination speaks of my work as director for the chamber of commerce (Cranbrook), membership with Kimberley Chamber of Commerce, my committee leadership for the Tourism Industry Association of B.C. (Transportation and Access Committee) and for being a director with the Airports Association of B.C.,” Chernove outlined.
Social: The airport has implemented a Facebook page; hosts practicum students; has done fundraising for the Cranbrook Food Bank; community volunteering; supports the local arts and artists; and supports local sporting events, such as the Six in the Stix mountain bike race and volunteering with community paddle events.
Chernove will receive the award Oct. 25 during a Silver Wings ceremony at Vancouver International Airport.
The B.C. Aviation Council was established in 1938 and is a charitable society incorporated under the B.C. Society Act. The council represents interests of the aviation industry in B.C. and has 160 individual and corporate members.
Ian Cobb/e-KNOW
