BONNYVILLE – The MD of Bonnyville has hired HM Aero Aviation Consulting to help formulate plans for the future of the Bonnyville Airport, and the first line of action includes connecting with the community and gathering feedback on what the community would like to see happen with the airport.
Andrew Macdonald and Ben Crooks from HM Aero Aviation Consulting gave a presentation to the MD council during the March 25 council meeting and then hosted an open house at the C2 Centre in the evening, to begin collecting feedback from the public.
For those still wanting to contribute feedback, there is a survey going on until April 11, and the link is available through the MD of Bonnyville.
“We're in the early days of the project, we are just doing initial research with stakeholders, users of the airport, and the community, so that's why we had this event. There are no plans laid out yet, we're here to listen,” said Crooks
He explained that it is too early for him to start making suggestions, but that he does see a lot of positives with the current state of the airport.
“The airport as it stands right now has lots of strengths. It's been very well operated and well maintained by the MD since they took it over. There’s a good level of winter maintenance service for the Medivac, and for industry flights as well. There’s good infrastructure to begin with. The runway is quite long and quite well suited for what it does right now, [and there is a] new lighting system, and new maintenance equipment.”
Crooks said there is already significant existing activity from industry and the Medivac, and they aim to build upon it with a community focused lens that understands the implications to the broader region, as well as incorporates community feedback.
“At the end of the day, the airport doesn’t exist in a vacuum, and it ties into the local community. It responds to what’s happening in the different sectors out here,” said Crooks.
Crooks said they have been very pleased with the level of feedback so far, and that the online survey has been garnering some helpful responses.
