TORONTO — Kiiwetinoong MPP Sol Mamakwa questioned the transportation minister at Queen’s Park on Tuesday about urgent safety improvements to many of the far north airports, particularly runways.
The airports in 24 First Nations communities in the Kiiwetinoong riding are part of the provincial transportation network; therefore, the province is responsible for infrastructure improvements such as paving runways.
“Airports are critical in the north. Especially during medical, police, and evacuation emergencies. They’re actually lifelines. But if you ask air carriers, they say fling in the north is like flying in the 1950s. We still have gravel runways,” Mamakwa said.
"They are only 3,500 feet. When is this government going to improve the safety standards of northern airports?"
Transportation Minister Caroline Mulroney responded that the provincial government is committed to improving safety conditions in transportation hubs in remote northern communities through federal funding.
“This issue is national in scope. We work closely with the federal government to take steps to address those remote airports face,” said Mulroney.
Mamakwa also addresses the cost of living in northern communities. Mamakwa said that a return flight from Winnipeg to Kasabonika Lake costs $3,200 and “a litre of gas in Webequie is $4.59.”
“The high price of gas is related to the type of plane that can deliver the gas,” said Mamakwa.
Ministry of Indigenous Affairs Greg Rickford said that he has flown on “every single one of them. They are safe for cargo and for people.”
However, Rickford blamed the price of gas in remote northern communities on the NDP’s support of the federal government's carbon tax.
“It’s that member opposite who voted against our initiative to reduce the cost of for planes flying into the remote communities. So far we have not been encouraged by the member opposite or his party, to build the kind of corridors that would provide reliable road access into many of our northern communities,” Rickford said.
