— By Lacie Nairn, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, The Drumheller Mail

Things at the Drumheller Municipal Airport will look a lot brighter after Drumheller council approved a partial award for the lighting portion of the airport rehabilitation project to Border Paving Ltd at the regular Monday, October 3 council meeting.

Although the paving portion of the project was awarded in April 2022, council had decided to postpone awarding the lighting portion as the cost was over $200,000 above the approved budget.

In May, Drumheller Mayor Heather Colberg and Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) Darryl Drohomerski lobbied the provincial government for additional funding for multiple projects due to escalating project costs, including the airport rehabilitation project which is funded by the Strategic Transportation Infrastructure Program – Community Airport Program (STIP – CAP).

Under the STIP – CAP program, the provincial government will pay 75 per cent of the cost of the project, with the municipality responsible for the remaining 25 per cent.

Shortly after their lobbying efforts, a letter from Alberta Minister of Transportation Prasad Panda was received informing the Town it had been granted an additional $152,051 to complete the lighting project.

Based on the additional funding received, the budget for the lighting project was increased from $142,000 to $344,734.67. Border Paving identified the lighting project will cost some $336,650 to complete, which is $8,084.67 under the newly budgeted amount.

Council unanimously awarded the revised project to Border Paving.

(Photo: Town of Drumheller)