Fire breaks out at new Iqaluit airport terminal

[Woxof38]

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/north/iqa ... -1.3217356

[AirMail]

I'm sure it's no coincidence that it's not the first fire at that airport

[GyvAir]

The $300-million airport renovation, including the new terminal, is being done as a public-private partnership. Hawkins said that means Saturday's fire won't affect the project's cost,...

(Didn't there used to be a head scratching smiley?)

[CID]

There seems to be a high rate of spontaneous combustion in Inuit communities. And Cree communities like Shamattawa. I understand the response to the budget. Everything is free right? Or the money they're getting from the government is obscenely over what is required. This setback will just eat into the profit a little. And let's not forget insurance....fraud.

[MUSKEG]

I wonder if they have user fees at these places.

[Panama Jack]

$300 million renovation? What else are they putting there besides a new yellow box? Chrystal musical fountain or some other palacial feature?

Lemme see. If they charge a user fee of $30 per pax, they will break even after 10 million emplanements.

[Redneck_pilot86]

I wonder if they have user fees at these places.

That would be racist.

[AEROMONKEY]

$300 million is for a brand new terminal,brand new runway and aprons from what I heard. The cost of getting supplies there has to be crazy....its costs $3500 to have a vehicle shipped up there.

[thirdtimecharm]

There seems to be a high rate of spontaneous combustion in Inuit communities. And Cree communities like Shamattawa. I understand the response to the budget. Everything is free right? Or the money they're getting from the government is obscenely over what is required. This setback will just eat into the profit a little. And let's not forget insurance....fraud.

Well now... as there are very few Inuit working on the project I don't know if that is a fair comparison. It sounds like it might have been a guy from Quebec or Newfoundland who made a mistake that led to the fire...

Also, the airport is now owned by the Winnipeg Airport Authority, so its not even like the money is flowing to Nunavut--- it ends up in Manitoba pretty quickly.

I honestly don't know anyone up here that wanted this airport. The project was approved and designed PRIOR to them even having a small conversation with First Air or Canadian North.

It wasn't built for Nunavut.

[Mr. North]

I honestly don't know anyone up here that wanted this airport. The project was approved and designed PRIOR to them even having a small conversation with First Air or Canadian North.

It wasn't built for Nunavut.

Well I don't know who you talk to but everyone I work with loves it. Take a walk through the yellow lunar station on any given day and it's total chaos. Not to mention the place is falling apart, the roof leaks, no room for security, and how about that god awful waiting lounge? Not only will the new terminal resolve these issues, it is centrally located with new taxiways and apron so movement will be much easier. Honestly this should have been done years ago. As a capitol city and the gateway to the North, Iqaluit stands to grow drastically over the next few years so this new airport is essential.

[thirdtimecharm]

I honestly don't know anyone up here that wanted this airport. The project was approved and designed PRIOR to them even having a small conversation with First Air or Canadian North.

It wasn't built for Nunavut.

Well I don't know who you talk to but everyone I work with loves it. Take a walk through the yellow lunar station on any given day and it's total chaos. Not to mention the place is falling apart, the roof leaks, no room for security, and how about that god awful waiting lounge? Not only will the new terminal resolve these issues, it is centrally located with new taxiways and apron so movement will be much easier. Honestly this should have been done years ago. As a capitol city and the gateway to the North, Iqaluit stands to grow drastically over the next few years so this new airport is essential.

Sure... but with all the things Nunavut faces, is this slight inconvenience for the few who are able to travel worth $300 million +?

[AEROMONKEY]

Remember the russians? lol The military needs a good airport up there to use.

[Mr. North]

Sure... but with all the things Nunavut faces, is this slight inconvenience for the few who are able to travel worth $300 million +?

The few who are able to travel? Everyone and nearly everything travels by air in the North. There is no other way! Who exactly are the few that don't travel by air up here or rely on the airport to deliver their goods? I fly people from all walks of life for all types of reasons. Elder conferences, artists gatherings, sports teams, politicians, court parties, medevac, scientists, DEW line personnel, hunters, fishermen, rangers, contractors, engineers, drillers, prospectors, etc ...plus all the usual folks on sched flights, and that's just working for my particular operator.

People think that because the cost of air travel is so high up here that it prohibits people from flying but that's hardly the case. It's fair to say the majority of people in the north are far more familiar with air travel then most people are down south. A good number of employers here have travel benefits that allow you to get out or visit your family in a neighbouring community. And failing that if you're a local Inuit there are a vast multitude of government programs that enable people to travel around the north or down south.

Aside from the once a year sea lift, air travel is the cornerstone to the economy up here. If Canada expects the north to prosper it needs to invest in the infrastructure and a new airport is just the beginning.


And how about those Russians? Well, while Canada flew a half dozen fighters around Arctic (calling into FSS with bingo fuel), the Russians had a 7 day Arctic exercise involving 80,000 troops, 200+ aircraft, 40 ships, and 15 subs. To compare, that's the entirety of the CF and then some. It will be interesting to see how the various Arctic claims play out. Because when push comes to shove, we all know who will be doing the shoving!

[Panama Jack]

You can't scare me Mr. North.

President Trump will protect us from the Russians.

[CID]

It wasn't built for Nunavut.

What difference does that make when we discuss how it caught fire? The school building in Shamattawa keeps burning down well after the building is completed. The fact of the matter is that infrastructure in some parts of the country seem to be destroyed at a higher and faster rate than other parts of the country.