Members of the Airport Development Committee say that closing the Osoyoos Airport would be a bad idea. From left are Rob Rausch, Diana Thomas and Dr. Jason Bartsch. (Keith Lacey photo)
Closing down the Osoyoos Airport would be a very bad idea in the short and long term, say members of the Osoyoos Airport Development Committee.
There is great potential to expand the Osoyoos Airport, while also allowing for expansion of the town’s industrial base near the airport, say local dentist Dr. Jason Bartsch, pilot and business owner Rob Rausch and Diana Thomas, a former constituency assistant for local MLA John Slater.
All three belong to the airport development committee that was formed six years ago. Other members include Alberta business owner Tom McHale – who runs a business flying workers from across Canada to work sites in Alberta – and local developer Glen Harris.
Last week, the five members of the committee signed a detailed letter stating their opposition to recent comments by newly-elected Town of Osoyoos Mayor Sue McKortoff that the town was exploring the option of closing down the Osoyoos Airport and using that land to expand the town’s industrial base. The town’s Buena Vista Industrial Park is located several hundred metres away from the airport, across Highway 3.
“We don’t think airport expansion is high enough up the list of priorities and we don’t think the current airport is the best use of that land,” said McKortoff in the Nov. 26 edition of the Osoyoos Times. “We think expanding the industrial base makes more sense.”
While acknowledging no final decision has been made about closing down the airport, McKortoff said senior administration, management with Destination Osoyoos and the town’s economic development administration agreed they would explore the option of closing the airport in the coming months and look at options to expand the industrial park.
This would waste tons of time and money that have already been spent on the airport over the past decade and permanently end any possibility of expanding Osoyoos Airport and turning it into a viable business operation, said Rausch.
“If this place closes, it closes for good,” he said.
After reading McKortoff’s recent comments, the committee met on numerous occasions over the past month to move ahead quickly with a plan to prepare a detailed business plan to make the Osoyoos Airport a viable and profitable enterprise as quickly as possible, said Thomas.
They hope to be able to meet with town council to voice their opposition to any plans to close the facility and inform the mayor and councillors about what they see as an endless list of opportunities for expansion as soon as possible in early 2015.
“We would love the opportunity to meet with council and explain our vision as soon as we possibly can early in the new year,” said Bartsch.
After receiving funding from a provincial grant to look at the long-term future of Osoyoos Airport, it was decided improvements would be broken down into different phases.
Some of those improvements include a new entrance built off of Hwy. 5, improved lighting and fencing and slight upgrades to the runway.
All of the money spent on these improvements would be a waste of local taxpayer dollars if the airport were closed, said Bartsch.
The next step, Phase 4, would include improved fending and installation of tie-downs to handle more aircraft safely on site, said Rausch.
“While we agree there aren’t a lot of planes currently using the airport … it’s not because of a lack of interest, but the lack of facilities up there right now,” said Rausch. “There are no tie downs and no security and people aren’t willing to leave their planes out there under those conditions.”
The minor improvements in Phase 4 would not cost a significant amount of money, but would significantly improve airport usage by aircraft owners, he said.
To consider closing the airport and use that land to expand the town’s industrial park doesn’t make a lot of sense when there are still lots for sale in the current park across the highway, said Bartsch.
Committee members are unanimous that the Osoyoos Airport will only become financially viable and self-sustaining once the current runway is expanded to allow for larger commercial planes to land here.
Runway expansion would give the airport a different designation and allow for easier transportation of passengers, but also dramatically increase the number and variety of people who would use the facility, said Rausch.
Suggestions that airport expansion – including extending the runway – would cost in the neighbourhood of between $4 and $5 million is not accurate, said Rausch.
“Those are pie in the sky numbers with every available option being finalized,” he said. “What we’re looking at isn’t even in that ballpark. Everything we believe should be done can be achieved at a much lower figure than that.”
No matter what happens, the committee realizes airport expansion will never be paid for by local taxpayers and funding will have to come from presenting a solid business plan and having investors willing to pay the costs, said Bartsch.
If a solid business plan is in place, an airport authority would be established to determine long-term financing plans by the private sector, he said.
An expanded runway would allow company’s like the one owned by McHale – Gemstone Logistics – to transport workers to oil and gas installations spread across western Canada – but would garner numerous secondary industry relating to the aviation industry and beyond, said Rausch.
The committee is more than willing to look at any plans that include airport expansion in conjunction with expanding the town’s industrial base near the airport, he said.
“It would be a win, win, win situation,” he said. “It doesn’t have to be either or … we can have a fantastic functional airport, while also expanding the industrial base of this town. We don’t have to shut down the airport to achieve those goals.”
Numerous businesses have approached town staff and council in the past looking to set up shop in this community, but have been rebuffed for one reason or another, said Rausch.
A lot of wealthy people and business owners would be very interested in using an expanded Osoyoos Airport on a regular basis as this community offers the outstanding lifestyle choices, weather and beauty that is part and parcel of living in the South Okanagan, said Thomas.
The bottom line is the Osoyoos Airport is too valuable an asset to close permanently, said Bartsch.
“We think that would be a terrible mistake,” he said. “We have a great amenity in this community and we feel it should be enhanced and not abandoned.”
Bartsch, Rausch and Thomas said they are looking forward to meeting with council early in the new year and presenting their vision to save Osoyoos Airport and hopefully be given enough time to prepare a detailed business plan to allow the facility to expand and be part of this community for decades to come.
KEITH LACEY
Osoyoos Times
