Iqaluit International Airport Improvement Project moves forward with signing of contract
IQALUIT, Nunavut (September 17, 2013) – The Government of Nunavut announced today that it has signed the contract with Arctic Infrastructure Partners to design, build, finance, operate and maintain the Iqaluit International Airport Improvement Project.
In July, Arctic Infrastructure Partners was selected as the preferred proponent to deliver the project. Materials and equipment will be delivered during the 2013 sealift season and construction will begin in the spring of 2014. The project is expected to be completed at the end of 2017.
“Today, with the signing of the contract with Arctic Infrastructure Partners (AIP), we are proud to be entering in to a long term partnership to ensure the delivery and ongoing maintenance of our new airport,” said Economic Development and Transportation Minister, Peter Taptuna. “This is the largest capital project ever undertaken in Nunavut, and the partnership approach will ensure that this project is low risk and will be completed on time and on budget.”
"The Government of Canada is very proud to support initiatives such as this one, which will improve the well-being and prosperity of Canada’s Northerners by creating jobs and economic growth,” said Leona Aglukkaq, Minister of the Environment, Minister of the Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency and Minister for the Arctic Council. “Today’s milestone is just one of the many other announcements from the federal government that will benefit Northern communities.”
“We are honoured to partner with the Government of Nunavut on this important and exciting project, and we are committed to delivering the new airport facilities on time and on budget for the people of Nunavut,” said Adel Bellemlih, with Arctic Infrastructure Partners. “We very much look forward to becoming an involved and active member of this community in the decades to come.”
The Iqaluit International Airport Improvement Project includes a new airport building; expanded aprons for planes to park; new lighting systems; an upgraded runway; and a new combined services building that will house the fire-fighting vehicles/support equipment and the heavy equipment that maintain the runways and aprons. The project is partially funded by PPP Canada Inc, a federal crown corporation.
A fairness advisor, Jane Shackell QC, was appointed to monitor the entire competitive selection process and found the evaluation to be fair and unbiased. The fairness advisor’s report is publicly available at: http://www.edt.gov.nu.ca/apps/Authoring/dspPage.aspx?page=airport_improv...
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