Two airports on British Columbia’s South Coast have received funding from the provincial government this year for the upgrading of their respective runways.

Powell River airport (CYPW), a Transport Canada (TC) certified airport with scheduled (regional) airline service, received 75 percent of the $1.5 million required to extend their runway at the west end by 200 feet in order to comply with a TC requirement for a Runway End Safety Area (RESA).

“This will not affect any of the regular day-to-day functions of the airport, but the runway will be closed at night,” said airport coordinator Denis Dilworth.

Just down the coast in Sechelt, that city’s airport (CAP3) also received over $1 million in funding through the B.C. provincial government’s Air Access Program for the resurfacing of, and a 700-foot extension to, the existing 2400-foot runway.

The Sechelt aerodrome is not TC-certified, but that may change with the recently-elected council, led by Mayor Darnelda Siegers. Although not available for a comment today, she has gone on record saying she wants to see Sechelt’s airport improve to the point where it will attract scheduled service similar to what is available in Powell River.

Photo above is Sechelt airport.