Ontario Construction News staff writer
The federal government has announced $85.5 million for the rehabilitation of the Rankin Inlet Airport airfield, as the new terminal building officially opens in the Kivalliq community.
The funding, announced through the Arctic Infrastructure Fund, will help pay for the rehabilitation of the airport’s runway, taxiways and apron systems, improving the safety, reliability and capacity of a key transportation link for communities across Nunavut’s Kivalliq region.
“For people in Rankin Inlet and across the Kivalliq, the airport is more than infrastructure,” said Rebecca Chartrand, minister of Northern and Arctic Affairs. “It connects families and communities and helps people access the food, supplies, services and opportunities they rely on.”
The project includes 141,000 sq. m. of airfield pavement, including Runway 13-31, Taxiways A and C and associated apron surfaces and extend the service life of the airfield by 15 to 20 years while reducing long-term maintenance requirements.
The airport is a key gateway for the Kivalliq region and the Department of National Defence also provided funding to rehabilitate the runway. Combined construction will increase the airport’s ability to meet growing transportation demands while supporting Canadian Armed Forces operations in the North.
“Investing in the Rankin Inlet Airport is an investment in Canada’s North, our Arctic sovereignty, and the communities that depend on reliable transportation every day,” said Steven MacKinnon, minister of transport. “Through the Arctic Infrastructure Fund, we are strengthening critical infrastructure that serves both civilian and defence purposes, helping ensure northern transportation networks remain safe, resilient, and dependable well into the future.”
The Arctic Infrastructure Fund supports dual-use civilian, community and defence infrastructure in the North.
