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Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan commits ‘up to’ $150M over 5 years to lengthen and modernize runway
CBC News · Posted: Sep 04, 2019
Two months after announcing $22 million to protect permafrost underneath Inuvik’s airport, the federal government has returned to the Northwest Territories to earmark millions more to upgrade its runway.
Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan was in Yellowknife Wednesday to announce the federal government will provide “up to” $150 million over five years to extend and modernize the runway at Mike Zubko Airport, so it can accommodate a greater variety of military aircraft for Royal Canadian Air Force and NORAD operations.
The money will extend the runway by 3,000 feet and modernize its lighting, navigational and military aircraft landing systems.
According to a press release from the government, on top of being a civilian facility, Mike Zubko Airport acts as a forward operating location for the air force and is primarily used in that capacity for CF-18 operations “to support Canadian sovereignty in the North and NORAD operations.”
The project is expected to be tendered in 2020