Alberta Transportation is offering up the Elk Point airport to the Town of Elk Point and the County of St. Paul for $1.
However, given the fact that the letter of offer was dated March 22 and Transportation requested everything be in place for April 1, both councils were hesitant to agree.
The runway is in need of resurfacing and there was no indication in the letter as to whether or not Transportation will foot the bill for the resurfacing project if it turns ownership of the airport over to the Town and County, which jointly operates it.
Elk Point Mayor Parrish Tung said Transportation has indicated previously that it had a “$700,000 and some” budget for paving and “if they can find the remainder of $400,000 then we say ‘yes’, after they pave it, we will consider whether we want to buy it or not,” Tung said. The most recent tendered offer on repaving the runway is over $1 million.
“Obviously we want to keep it as an active airport in the town’s portfolio of opportunities and attractions, that part’s a no brainer. That’s not the issue,” Elk Point Coun. Eugene Buck said.
Town manager Myron Goyan was requested by council to send the department a letter indicating it is not prepared to take over the airport at this time.
“Please call us when you’ve found the rest of the money,” Goyan said, in summing up his proposed communication to Alberta Transportation.
The County of St. Paul also addressed the proposal from Alberta Transportation during its regular council meeting last Tuesday.
“We are sending a letter to the Minister of Transportation to ask for an extension in order to provide the County with enough time to evaluate if we, together with the Town of Elk Point, should consider taking over ownership of the Elk Point airport,” CAO Sheila Kitz told the Journal. “We feel that this airport may be an important piece of infrastructure into the future for Industry to access northeast Alberta.”
