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Pitt
Meadows, BC:
The little airport that can
Newly
acquired from Transport Canada, Pitt Meadows
Airport is on the prowl for aviation-related
business and scheduled flight services. The airport
is the only aerodrome in the Fraser Valley located
on the river's North shore. Abundant open space to
expand, and a Board free of political connections
will allow the new airport authority to make some
major changes. With $70,000 allotted to
refurbishing of administration facilities, and
$250,000 to help with operating losses for the next
two years, none are taking this acquisition
lightly.
The land base
is 750 acres at a value of $8 million plus.
The
seven member voting board consists of persons in
Aviation, Economic Development, Tourism, Financial-
Accounting- Non Profit and Risk Management, Law and
Site Development. A three member nonvoting board
will include one council member each, from Maple
Ridge and Pitt Meadows, and a Katzie First Nations
member. Communities served by the airport are
Coquitlam, Port Coquitlam, Port Moody, Pitt
Meadows, and Maple Ridge represent a combined
population over 220,000.
Tourism is a
huge draw, with Pitt Lake, Tweedsmuir Provincial
Park, golf courses, and pristine wilderness areas
nearby. The Airport has three runways, ranging to
1310 m, the largest capable of handling small
passenger jets. Currently Pitt Meadows Airport
serves 3 helicopter operations and 75 private
aircraft. There's also a fully serviced float plane
dock (with water extraction facilities), and a
flight tower operated by Nav Canada.
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