Rota reacts to runway announcement

Nipissing‐Timiskaming MP Anthony Rota
News Release

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Ottawa – Nipissing‐Timiskaming MP Anthony Rota expressed his pleasure with today’s announcement that the government has approved a funding request to repave the 10,000‐foot
runway at Jack Garland Airport. “This is the culmination of several years of intense lobbying and negotiations,” says Mr. Rota, “And I’m pleased that the North Bay Airport is finally receiving the funding it requires to ensure the long‐term success and maintenance of the facility.”

Mr. Rota, who has been working in partnership with the City of North Bay and the North Bay Jack Garland Airport Corporation on this file since he was first elected, says that adopting a determined and unified approach was instrumental in securing the cash necessary to protect
one of the region’s most valuable assets. “Together we have always maintained that the potential benefits to the regional economy and the availability of the runway during
emergencies far outweigh the long‐term costs of maintaining North Bay’s 10,000‐foot runway,” says Mr. Rota.

The federal government has approved in excess of $10‐million towards the resurfacing of the 10,000‐foot runway and taxiway, through two separate programs: the Airports Capital Assistance Program (ACAP), and the G8 Fund.
According to Mr. Rota, the importance of maintaining the runway at North Bay’s Jack Garland Airport cannot be overstated. “Not only does our 10,000‐foot runway provide for a safe and reliable alternate landing site in the event that aircraft are unable to land at their designated
airport,” says Mr. Rota, “it also provides for future market opportunities for passenger and cargo operations with larger aircraft, allowing the community to compete for business on an international level.”

Mr. Rota says his next priority is making certain that the resurfacing project gets underway as soon as possible. “We have had to wait several years for this funding request to be approved,” says Mr. Rota. “Now that we finally have funding assurances from the federal government, we must ensure that they honour their commitment by beginning work on this resurfacing project at the earliest possible opportunity.”

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