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Sault Airport gets more than $2 million in federal support

Non-repayable funding meant to help offset financial burden brought on by COVID-19 pandemic
2021-07-28-AirportFundingJH02
Sault Ste. Marie MP Terry Sheehan announced more than $2.15 million in federal assistance for Sault Airport Wednesday.

Sault Ste. Marie Airport has received more than $2.15 million from the federal government to help with operating costs over the course of a one-year period in an effort to mitigate financial pressures brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Sault MP Terry Sheehan was joined by Sault Ste. Marie Airport Development Corporation (SSMADC) officials and mayor Christian Provenzano outside the airport Wednesday to make the announcement. 

“We stood firm with them, we stood shoulder to shoulder with them, and I appreciate their confidence in me in allowing them to go and continue to operate knowing that more hope was on the horizon. And today, that hope became a reality,” said Sheehan, speaking with SooToday. “As we are turning the page on COVID-19, and as we come roaring back, we are going to count on our airports to help us achieve those goals.”

The non-repayable funding, delivered through FedNor, was pulled from the Government of Canada’s Regional Air Transportation Initiative (RATI). It’s a two-year, $206-million fund that was launched in March of this year in order to keep airports and existing flights operational while adapting to new post-COVID-19 realities. 

Terry Bos, president and chief executive officer for SSMADC, says that he’s been a lot more optimistic in the past six weeks than he’s ever been during the pandemic. Air Canada added some capacity in mid-July, while Porter Airlines is set to return to the airport in October. 

“There are certainly signs right now that a recovery is starting to take place,” Bos told SooToday Wednesday. “I’m very hopeful that our July numbers are going to look a lot more encouraging than I was expecting.”

It’s expected the funding announced Wednesday will allow SSMADC to maintain 13 airport staff for the time being. During the pandemic, the airport saw two early retirements within full-time staff, and the SSMADC didn’t bring in roughly half a dozen seasonal employees over the winter. It also chose not to renew three term positions within that time frame. Management has been on reduced work weeks. 

“Eventually I think we’ll be able to bring staff back, but it’s going to take some time and some recovery in the market for us to really see that coming, and then move in that direction,” Bos said. 

Both Bos and Sheehan hope that climbing vaccination rates will equate to more air travel.

“Right now, you’re seeing people getting vaccinated, and we’re doing record-breaking amounts of vaccinations here in Sault Ste. Marie and Algoma, and across this country - which is going to allow more people to have confidence to travel,” Sheehan said. 

But Bos also anticipates that business and international travel will take longer to come around, as businesses have adapted to meeting virtually. 

But he remains hopeful that travel from Saultites working out of town, combined with a demand for sun destinations and family reunions could help support Sault Ste. Marie Airport through the winter. 

“There’s nothing like face to face, and I think that face to face, at the end of the day, is going to at least attract some people back to travelling,” Bos said. 

In May, SSMADC received nearly $9 million in funding from the federal government through Transport Canada’s Airport Capital Assistance Program (ACAP) for infrastructure improvements and equipment.


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James Hopkin

About the Author: James Hopkin

James Hopkin is a reporter for SooToday in Sault Ste. Marie
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