Manitoba puts $1.65M into southwestern airport

Virden’s airport is getting $1.6M from the Manitoba government to upgrade its facilities.

The province is putting $1.65 million into an ongoing project to improve the airport in Virden.

Municipal and Northern Relations Minister Glen Simard was in the southwestern town on Monday to make the announcement.

“This is an important investment that will encourage regional development and job creation in Westman,” the minister said in a statement.

The provincial dollars will go towards the expansion and rehabilitation of the Virden Regional Airport.

The province said the funding will go towards a new automated weather observing system and improved support for medical transfer flights for services like STARS Air Ambulance.

“This is very important for our area,” Virden Mayor Tina Williams said, adding her town is becoming a health-care hub for the southwestern part of the province.

Along with the health-care improvements, Williams said the new funding will help bolster tourism and business opportunities tied to the airport.

The airport was built in 1940 as a flying school to train pilots during the Second World War.

“Since the RAF decommissioning in 1944, the airport has been kept active through the efforts of many area residents, private aviators, and especially the Virden Flying Club,” said Coun. Bruce Dunning, chair of the Virden Airport Commission.

Dunning said the overall project was launched last year as the airport had become outdated over the decades. He said the ongoing project has seen the extension of the runway, installation of the weather observation system, and runway lighting.

“Once again our airport has become the centre for aviation activity in southwestern Manitoba,” he said.

Dunning noted along with the provincial funding, the project has seen support from rural municipalities of Wallace-Woodworth and Pipestone, the Town of Virden, and the Virden Area Flying Club.