Civil Aviation Infrastructure in the North—Transport Canada
Opening Statement to the Standing Committee on Public Accounts
Civil Aviation Infrastructure in the North—Transport Canada
(Report 6—2017 Spring Reports of the Auditor General of Canada)
3 October 2017
Michael Ferguson, Chartered Professional AccountantCPA, Chartered AccountantCA
Fellow Chartered Professional AccountantFCPA, Fellow Chartered AccountantFCA (New Brunswick)
Auditor General of Canada
Mr. Chair, thank you for this opportunity to present the results of our report on civil aviation infrastructure in the north, which was tabled in May 2017. I am accompanied by James McKenzie, the Principal who was responsible for the audit.
The audit on civil aviation infrastructure in the north focused on infrastructure needs of remote northern airports and on Transport Canada’s leadership in assessing and addressing these needs.
Airports in the north are critical to the communities they serve, particularly the airports in the 117 remote northern communities that we identified where air travel is the only reliable mode of year-round transportation. These airports support the delivery of essential goods and services, including emergency medical evacuations.
The infrastructure challenges of northern airports have been well documented in various reports and assessments. Many remote northern airports need improved lighting, navigational aids, runways, and better information on weather and runway conditions.
We found that Transport Canada had not taken an active leadership role to facilitate collaborative efforts to assess and address the infrastructure needs of remote northern airports. The Department’s Airports Capital Assistance Program provided some funding for projects that help remote northern airports meet the Department’s safety regulations and standards. Since its inception in 1995, the program has provided about 140 million dollars for infrastructure projects at 67 of the 117 remote northern airports we examined.
In 2016, Transport Canada surveyed airports across Canada that were eligible for program funding about their infrastructure needs. The airports that responded identified almost $800 million worth of projects over the next three years to maintain and enhance airport safety. This included about $100 million worth of projects at remote northern airports. Over the last three fiscal years, remote northern airports received about $15 million in funding from the Airports Capital Assistance Program. It is clear that demand for infrastructure funding exceeds the program’s annual budget of $38 million.
Our report had two recommendations. The first stated that Transport Canada, in collaboration with stakeholders, should lead the development of a long-term strategy for northern airport infrastructure. The second stated that Transport Canada should work with stakeholders to determine what sources of funding would meet the infrastructure needs of remote northern airports.
Transport Canada agreed with our recommendations and prepared an action plan.
Mr. Chair, this concludes my opening remarks. We would be pleased to answer any questions the Committee may have. Thank you.