As of today, Transport Canada is no longer supplying fire protection services to Wabush Airport.
Mayor Ron Barron says the decision was based on numbers dating back to a time when the local mining industry was in a tailspin.
Transport Canada requires 180,000 passengers passing through an airport per year to supply services, but Barron says the region is on the upswing and numbers dating back a few years shouldn’t apply.
It’s the second time Transport Canada has pulled fire services from the local airport, according to Barron.
He says they left the town “holding the bag” back in 1985, but the town pulled the service in 2012 due to liability issues, and Transport Canada’s services were restored.
Barron says the town is once again responsible should anything happen, but there are limitations.
He explains that local firefighters will be able to respond to structural fires. Still, there are liabilities related to responding to aircraft emergencies that the town simply can’t take on.