4 Wing approaches MD for air show funding

Officials from 4 Wing Cold Lake attended an MD of Bonnyville council meeting to seek financial support for the upcoming air show.

On Jan. 27, Wing Commander Col. Eric Kenny made a presentation to council, outlining the base's plans for a revamped air show. The two-day 2016 Cold Lake Air Show is planned for July 16-17, but Kenny's hopes are to transform it into a biennial event that benefits not only 4 Wing and the City of Cold Lake, but the entire region.

“I think it would be a fantastic opportunity to showcase what we do in the military, as well as what the region can offer,” said Kenny, noting that the direct economic impact would be about $41 for each spectator that attends and about $104 comes indirectly into the community.

Projecting budget expenses for the show to be around $228,325, the base is expecting to generate approximately $320,800 in revenue. To offset costs, the MD was given the option of contributing a maximum of $30,000 by signing up to be a marketing sponsor or becoming a corporate partner for as little as $4,000.

Considering the downturn in the economy right now in the region, it's an opportunity to bring people from outside the region,” Kenny noted. “I want to showcase the Royal Canadian Air Force capabilities while potentially allowing the local region to benefit from some of those economic prospects.”

Reeve Ed Rondeau said he was impressed by Kenny's presentation and that council will make a decision on funding very soon.

“I was impressed with his presentation, not because they did a terrific job with the presentation – because they have all the tech and they have all the staff to do this – but what I was impressed with was that he took the time to come down and do it personally and I've never seen that, I have never seen a commanding officer coming down.”

In his presentation, Kenny highlighted the fact that by making the air show a two-day, biennial event, the base can get the adequate amount of time to prepare for a grand show.

“By doing a predictable cycle for air shows, we can do regular planning,” Kenny explained. “It allows you to lock in acts well in advance because some of them have two to three years planning cycles.”

Included in the list of potential acts for this year are the SkyHawks, Red Bull, the Snowbirds and the CF-18 Demo Team. Unlike the one-day 2014 Cold Lake Air Show, which coincided with 4 Wing's 60th anniversary celebrations, the upcoming show will feature a VIP section for sponsors and a beer garden.

Kenny also addressed some of the issues from the 2014 air show, which included parking and traffic issues, noting that the base has hired a consultant to help them with planning for 2016.

“I like the way they're marketing VIP tents where they're going to let sponsors come in there,” Rondeau said. “I'm also impressed that they went as far as to hire a consultant to figure out the way they handled traffic.”

According to statistics from the International Council of Air Shows, 14,000 visitors generated a direct economic impact of approximately $574,000 during the 2014 air show through businesses such as restaurants, hotels and gas stations.

The City of Cold Lake has put up $75,000 to be the lead sponsor of the air show. The city will also cover incidental costs pertaining to bylaw officers, RCMP overtime and fire services.

MD council will discuss the matter in greater detail at the next committee meeting and will make a motion at their next council meeting.