Bid for airport funds not dead: MPP

Author: Frank Matys

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Simcoe North MPP Garfield Dunlop is quietly meeting with key government officials in a bid to secure funds for an expansion of the Lake Simcoe Regional Airport.
Dunlop is urging the province to reconsider a decision not to contribute toward proposed upgrades to the Oro-Medonte based facility, arguing the expansion would create jobs and spur development.
Dunlop recently broached the issue with Energy and Infrastructure Minister George Smitherman, who appeared receptive to the proposal.
“I got the distinct feeling that it wasn’t a dead issue by any means,” he said.
Dunlop also spoke with Municipal Affairs and Housing Minister Jim Watson.
“I still think there are some opportunities there,” Dunlop added.
The township is seeking $10 million toward a $15 million redevelopment of the busy airport.
Mayor Harry Hughes in February learned the province had rejected the township’s request for $5 million toward proposed upgrades.
A $5 million commitment by Ottawa was contingent on the province providing an equal share.
Based on discussions with Smitherman and Watson, Dunlop suspects the township’s funding application fell victim to a misunderstanding of the project.
“There seemed to have been a lot of mixed messaging around what caused it to fail,” he said.
The airport is ideally located to accommodate growth projected for the south end of the county, but requires significant upgrades that come at a steep cost, Dunlop added.
The prospect of an upgraded airport has prompted a private concern to plan a sprawling industrial park for lands opposite the airport.
“It makes sense that that airport expansion would be at the top of the list for growth,” Dunlop added.
The township’s application to the Building Canada fund may have failed to win a provincial contribution due to Barrie’s membership in the airport, Dunlop was told.
The fund is meant to assist communities with populations of less than 100,000 people.
The airport’s location north of Barrie may also have been a factor, he added.
“I think the province expected jobs were going to be created at the seventh concession with manufacturing and business, and that didn’t seem to fit the picture with the (provincial growth plan),” he said. “That is the understanding I am getting right now.”
Dunlop is now attempting to arrange a meeting between Smitherman and township officials.
He said the project is unlikely to qualify for the initial round of grants that were announced in February.
“I think all the money has been allocated,” he added.
Dunlop anticipates the province will begin inviting applications for a second round of funding in August.
“I am not saying it is a done deal, and I am not saying it is over,” he added.
A runway expansion and security enhancements are among the upgrades planned for the airport, located at Line 7.