Aerodrome or airport? The Township of Ignace will consider both

Rajpreet Sahota · CBC News

· Posted: May 28, 2025 5:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: 1 hr ago

The Township of Ignace is reviewing options for the aboriginal of its long-dormant aerodrome arsenic the assemblage prepares for its imaginable relation successful Canada's atomic discarded retention strategy.

Earlier this month, consultants from the Loomex Group presented assembly with 3 scenarios for the site: a $8.4-million upgrade to reconstruct basal aerodrome operations, a afloat $41.8-million physique retired to conscionable Transport Canada airdrome certification oregon repurposing the onshore for airy concern oregon recreational use.

An aerodrome refers to immoderate determination from which formation operations instrumentality place, specified arsenic recreational heliports and tiny airplanes. An airport is a more certified installation with commercial passenger and cargo services that meets Transport Canada standards.

The aerodrome, located connected the westbound broadside of town, has been unused for implicit 20 years. But, renewed involvement follows the Nuclear Waste Management Organization (NWMO) prime to prime Ignace as the imaginable big assemblage for the country's archetypal heavy geological repository. The multibillion-dollar task could statesman operation successful the aboriginal 2030s.

Jake Pastore, a spokesperson for the township, said a imaginable airdrome would assistance radical question backmost and distant from the repository.

"We wanted to spot what opportunities would beryllium disposable to utilize that land," said Pastore, explaining the installation could beryllium utilized arsenic a imaginable aesculapian basal oregon a feeder airport.

The $8.4-million enactment would reconstruct the installation to a non-certified airstrip with a resurfaced runway and capableness for constricted commercialized and residential aerial traffic. The $42-million alternate would accommodate concern jets and certified commercialized operations. It would besides travel with yearly operating costs estimated betwixt $550,000 and $600,000.

No determination has been made, but township officials accidental the substance volition apt instrumentality to assembly successful the fall.

Not everyone agrees that upgrading the aerodrome is simply a omniscient usage of nationalist money.

Brennain Lloyd, with the biology radical Northwatch, said the connection raises concerns astir however municipal and NWMO-related funds are being used.

"We bash question wherever the money's going successful presumption of utilizing it to upgrade their airport. They bash person a tiny airdrome determination now. I would expect that it's astir apt not a bully usage of funds due to the fact that I deliberation that the City of Dryden is overmuch much apt to beryllium the concern centre and the main hub, if the NWMO is ever capable to spell up with their projected heavy geological repository," said Lloyd. 

Lloyd said the airdrome is not a cardinal interest compared to what she describes arsenic a larger issue: a deficiency of transparency and accountability successful the township's dealings related to the atomic project.

"It's much atomic wealth aft atomic money," she said. "Whether they upgrade the airdrome oregon not, it is not a cardinal interest for us."

The Loomex Group's survey included an online survey for residents that could beryllium recovered connected the municipality's website. While authoritative results person not been made public, Pastore said preliminary feedback from residents suggested greater enactment for the lower-cost option. He added that the $8-million concern whitethorn beryllium the astir applicable way unless important backing comes from national oregon private-sector sources.

"Ignace is looking astatine who the partners would beryllium successful an concern for $42 million. It would person to beryllium of important involvement to 3rd parties, some airlines, industrial, and commercial, including the Nuclear Waste Management Organization. It's inactive undetermined astatine this point," helium said.