GOVERNMENT OF CANADA INVESTS IN SAFETY UPGRADES OF FIVE QUEBEC AIRPORTS

MONT-JOLI, QC, Aug. 30 /CNW/ - Today, Daniel Petit, Member of Parliament for Charlesbourg—Haute-Saint-Charles, on behalf of the Honourable Chuck Strahl, Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities, announced that airports in Quebec will again benefit from a Government of Canada investment in important safety upgrades. This investment is part of the Airports Capital Assistance Program (ACAP).

"The safety of Canadians who work at and use airports is important for our government," said MP Petit. "Today's announcement will allow five Quebec airports to make safety upgrades that will enable them to keep providing safe, excellent service to passengers and businesses across their communities, and will also create jobs that will stimulate our economy."

"It's important for regional airports to have access to these investments," said Mr. Gilbert Pigeon, president of the Régie intermunicipale de l'aéroport régional de Mont-Joli. "Our infrastructure requires important improvements that our regions cannot totally finance."

The Government of Canada investment includes $8,628,423 for the following safety upgrades:

• purchasing of a snowplow truck with a de-icing spreader at Baie-Comeau;
• purchasing of a grader at Kuujjuarapik;
• upgrading of the Field Electrical Centre and the construction of a sand storage shed at Mont-Joli;
• purchasing of a snowplow truck and a decelerometer at Rouyn-Noranda; and
• undertaking the major rehabilitation of manoeuvring areas at Salluit.

To date, the Government of Canada has invested a total of $535 million for 651 projects at 170 airports through ACAP.

These improvements will be funded in 2010-2011 under ACAP. This year, the Government of Canada will invest more than $42 million in safety-related improvements at airports across Canada.

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For further information:

John Babcock Press Secretary Office of the Honourable Chuck Strahl Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities, Ottawa 613-991-0700

Media Relations     Transport Canada, Ottawa     613-993-0055