Canada and Nunavut Celebrate the official opening of the Qikiqtarjuaq airport
Qikiqtarjuaq, Nunavut, January 10, 2012 – A new airport terminal building opened today in Qikiqtarjuaq thanks to a joint investment of over $4 million by the governments of Canada and Nunavut through the Provincial-Territorial Base Fund.
The Honourable Leona Aglukkaq, Minister of Health and Minister of the Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency, the Honourable Eva Aariak, Premier of Nunavut, and the Honourable Peter Taptuna, Nunavut Minister of Economic Development and Transportation, today commemorated the official opening of the Qikiqtarjuaq Airport terminal.
“By working with our territorial partners to invest in infrastructure, we are building strong, prosperous communities that will flourish now and in years to come,” said Minister Aglukkaq. “Replacing aging infrastructure like the terminal building in Qikiqtarjuaq supports the needs of this growing community and contributes to the territory’s transportation network.”
The new energy-efficient airport terminal building will provide a safer, more spacious waiting area for the passengers and families of Qikiqtarjuaq. The facility greatly improves baggage-handling capacity for airlines and provides more office space for airport staff. The building includes new Observer Communicator equipment, which assists with air/ground communications, flight planning, aviation weather observation and emergency response.
“It is a pleasure to be here today to celebrate the official opening of this new airport terminal,” said Premier Aariak. “Airports are the year-round lifelines connecting all Nunavut communities and supporting Nunavummiut. This vital infrastructure will effectively serve this growing community well into the future.”
“The airport terminal building is an asset that Qikiqtarjuaq will use for many years to come,” said Minister Taptuna. “Qikiqtarjuaq’s new airport terminal building will greatly improve air travel into and out of the community. This important infrastructure would not have been possible without use of the Provincial-Territorial Base Fund administered by Infrastructure Canada.”
The Qikiqtarjuaq airport was identified in Nunavut’s 2009-10 Capital Plan under the federal government’s Provincial-Territorial Base Fund. Under the Provincial-Territorial Base Funding agreement of the Building Canada plan, Nunavut will receive a total of $182.68 million in funding from the Government of Canada for its core infrastructure priorities such as water, wastewater, safe roads, as well as regional and local airports.
- 30 -
For further information on Infrastructure Canada’s projects in Nunavut, visit infrastructure.gc.ca.
To learn more about Canada’s Economic Action Plan, visit actionplan.gc.ca.
For further information contact:
Pierre Floréa
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister of Transport, Infrastructure and Communities
613-991-0700
Matthew Illaszewicz
Manager, Communications
Department of Economic Development & Transportation, Government of Nunavut
867-975-7818
Infrastructure Canada
613-960-9251
Toll free: 1-877-250-7154