Council approves airport funds
City of Powell River council reconvened on Thursday, August 4, to approve an additional $160,000 required to upgrade the city’s airport runway.
Council approved that the additional funds come from the gas tax reserve fund, an allotment of money the city receives annually from the federal government.
In April 2015, council approved $320,000 for the project. Total cost of the project is now estimated at close to $500,000.
Council directed staff to continue with the design and installation to extend the existing airport runway another 300 feet to make the total usable length 3,900 feet.
Upgrades will also include added paving to a portion of the runway to decrease the amount of its slope, a problem recently brought to the city’s attention that could impact which aircraft Pacific Coastal Airlines is able to operate in and out of Powell River.
Run-of-river begins
Alterra Power Corpor-ation has announced the start of its full commercial operations at the Jimmie Creek run-of-river hydroelectric project.
The 62-megawatt power plant, located 90 kilometres northeast of Powell River, is selling 100 per cent of its renewable power to BC Hydro under a 40-year agreement.
Owned by Alterra, Axium Infrastructure and partners Tla’amin Nation, Klahoose First Nation and shíshálh Nation, the project is one of four that run along Alterra’s 145-kilometre transmission line from Toba Montrose to a substation at Saltery Bay.
