Repaved runway in North Bay: Fedeli secures $10 million for Jack Garland Airport.

• Author: Ross, Ian
• Position: NORTH BAY

North Bay mayor Vic Fedeli is finally getting his runway repaved.

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After his five-year battle with Ottawa to secure money to repave the city's super-sized 10,000-foot runway at Jack Garland Airport, two federal agencies are investing $10.3 million in the facility in preparation for the arrival of the G8 Summit of world leaders next year in Huntsville.

"I simply can't wipe the smile off my face," said Fedeli, following FedNor Minister Tony Clement's Feb. 6 news conference in Huntsville.

North Bay is raking in almost $5.3 million from the Airports Capital Assistance Program (ACAP) and another $5 million coming from a special G8 fund set up for the three-day event in the Deerhurst Resort.

The City of North Bay will also make an investment of a few hundred thousand dollars for the project. Rehabilitating three taxiways are also included in the project.

Clement's riding, Parry Sound-Muskoka, stands to benefit too with $50 million for "G8 Summit related infrastructure" including a $20 million G8 Centre in Hunstville to host the June 25-27 event.

Fedeli praised the efforts of community leaders and neighbouring municipalities, including the City of Greater Sudbury, who wrote letters and passed resolutions in support of the project.

"This was the result of a strong community effort convincing the government this was a very important regional program."

It helped that the project ties in with the federal government's stimulus program to put people to work.

Fedeli expects North Bay will play an important supporting role in the June 2010 event. Though there's nothing definitive to say that Jack Garland Airport will see Air Force One taxiing up the tarmac, "this certainly paves the way for our role in that."

With its military-length runway, Jack Garland is the closest large airport facility to Huntsville. "We'll be lobbying very hard for North Bay to be the arrival point for the world's dignitaries," said Fedeli.

"No matter what happens if they use our airport or not, every hotel in the City of North Bay will be booked for 10 days. There's no hesitation (in saying) there's great spinoffs for North Bay."

Fedeli expects to put the repaving project to tender right away and the runway work should be done by fall.

"As soon as the asphalt plants open this year, we'll start laying asphalt."

With cross-wind runways at the airport, it shouldn't affect daily flight operations that much.

A reconditioned runway will do more than keep a prized...