As a municipal government, the Town of Valleyview is trusted with the sound, efficient management of money and resources while advocating for the community as a whole. We strive to provide and manage essential services and facilities, and to develop and maintain a safe, viable community.
A vital asset to the Town and surrounding areas is the Valleyview Airport. It is integral to the local economy, is a hub for business, industry, and tourism, and draws aviators from throughout Alberta and Canada. However, the Airport plays a much more crucial role in our community– it accommodates arrivals and departures of critical medivac services for the Town and surrounding communities.
Constructed in the mid-1970s, the Valleyview Airport has seen routine upgrades to ensure safe, continued operation. Nonetheless, as with all infrastructure, the runway surface has degraded, largely due to its age and weather stressors unique to our northern climate.
The airport runway is nearing the end of its service life and the Town of Valleyview is considering major improvements to the infrastructure, including a complete overlay of the runway, taxiway, and apron as well as lighting upgrades. These improvements will provide increased safety tolerances for pilots, passengers and aircraft and – most notably – the safety of medivac personnel and their patients. We are optimistic that these improvements will also raise public awareness of the airport, resulting in increased airport activity.
As a small municipality, the Town is unable to shoulder the financial obligation of this project alone and is currently in the process of assembling a grant application through the Government of Alberta Strategic Transportation and Infrastructure Program (STIP). During the application evaluation process, projects with other funding sources such as private sector and individual contributions are scored higher than those with municipal funding only. If our municipality can secure funding from individuals and organizations, it will improve our grant application score and bring us one step closer to airport revitalization.
The Town has recently approached local business and industry leaders as well as other stakeholders for assistance with these critical improvements. The purpose of this open letter today is to appeal to the community at large for further funding in support of the Valleyview Airport.
If you wish to participate and are able to provide capital assistance, we kindly request a response by way of a commitment letter, including the amount that can be contributed, by November 16, 2021, to: Town of Valleyview, Airport Rehabilitation, Box 270, Valleyview, AB T0H 3N0. Additionally, if you have specific comments regarding support for the project – or opposed to the project – you may also direct this input to the previously noted address.
Every community has its strengths and its weaknesses – Valleyview’s strength is our people. By working together as a community, we can ensure the future, the safety, and the sustainability of the Valleyview Airport.
Thank you.