DRYDEN — The MPP for the Kenora-Rainy River riding says his government “has not ruled out” financial help for airlines that want to serve regional airports.
Speaking to reporters in Dryden, Greg Rickford said 80 to 90 thousand people each year leave the riding to fly to other destinations out of Winnipeg “so there’s a lot of value in trying to understand how to service us.”
“But it can't be that the cost of that flight is more than the cost of the flight you're taking from Thunder Bay to another major city centre somewhere else in the world,” he said.
“So, we want affordability and reliability.”
To that end, Rickford said some help could be on the way for carriers.
“The Ministry of Transportation and my office have not ruled out playing a more significant role in helping the cost model get off the ground — no pun intended — for our communities, for what could be a limited amount of time,” he said.
“Just to ensure that passenger services is optimized, and we're looking at that now.”
In Kenora, North Star Air recently announced return of passenger air service with the first routes between its airport and Thunder Bay scheduled to start Jan. 15. Not only does that provide a service that officials throughout the region have said is greatly needed, it also means the Kenora airport can possibly again qualify for federal airports capital assistance program dollars.
Under that program, which is designed to help offset the costs for capital improvements and equipment purchases for local and regional airports and aerodromes, a site has to have year-round scheduled commercial passenger service with a minimum of 1,000 passengers per year.
Dryden and Fort Frances, along with Kenora, have commissioned a study to explore the viability and future of air travel that services their communities. Currently, without scheduled passenger service, Dryden and Fort Frances can’t access that federal fund for their airports.
When asked whether the province would consider providing direct funding, Rickford said “it’s one of the two options,” with the other being supporting airlines so airports they service can be eligible for federal dollars.
“The Ontario government can play a role in supporting economically the viability of commercial airline services,” he said, adding that talks with Ottawa for interim help are also an option.
“It may be that, on an interim basis, we have to sit down with the federal government,” Rickford said.
“And hopefully, come to a place where that is dealt with, until we can get the kinds of commercial services that they would qualify automatically for when you're doing all these investments and you're working with your government.”
The Airport Management Council of Ontario has been advocating for a dedicated $10 million per-year funding stream from Queen’s Park for airport improvements, arguing similar provincial programs are in place in other provinces.
Shari Gentes, the council’s northwest regional director, has told Newswatch they will take part in the province’s 2026 pre-budget consultations to make their case.
-With files from Joey Langdon