Penticton MP calls for new funding model for Nav Canada

South Okanagan – West Kootenay MP Richard Cannings is concerned for the recovery of local airport operations as the aviation business continues to be ravaged by COVID-19.

The MP for Penticton took part in discussions with the House of Commons standing committee on transport, Jan. 28.

The committee was studying the impacts of COVID-19 on the aviation industry beyond airlines, Cannings says, noting the two regional airports in his riding – Penticton and Castlegar – have been badly hit by the pandemic.

“Nav Canada doesn’t have any money anymore. Their operations are funded by the number of passengers flying in and out of our airports,” Cannings says, noting airlines have cut service by as much as 90 per cent due to the pandemic.

READ MORE: Flying in and out of Kelowna is going to look a lot different

Cannings says he asked the committee if it was time to look at a new funding model or governance model for Nav Canada.

“There were commercial pilots and air traffic controllers at the meeting who agreed with me,” Cannings says.

Cannings says he’s worried about what will happen when the pandemic ends. He’s concerned it will take years instead of weeks or months for air travel to return to normal as people in the industry get laid off and move on to other things, and services are cut back.

“There needs to be support to keep these services going and people working in those services, or what will be left when all this is over?” he says. "Nav Canada is one piece of it. They control airport operations, but there’s also airlines. Last fall, sector-specific supports were being considered, but there has been no word on the outcome of those negotiations yet."

The Penticton MP expressed concern nothing is happening, and eventually the government will end up throwing a lot of money at big corporations like Air Canada, instead of putting towards keeping regional services operating.


To contact a reporter for this story, email Steve Arstad or call 250-488-3065 or email the editor. You can also submit photos, videos or news tips to tips@infonews.ca and be entered to win a monthly prize draw.

We welcome your comments and opinions on our stories but play nice. We won't censor or delete comments unless they contain off-topic statements or links, unnecessary vulgarity, false facts, spam or obviously fake profiles. If you have any concerns about what you see in comments, email the editor in the link above.

Steve Arstad

I have been looking for news in the South Okanagan - SImilkameen for 20 years, having turned a part time lifelong interest into a full time profession. After five years publishing a local newsletter, several years working as a correspondent / stringer for several local newspapers and seven years as editor of a Similkameen weekly newspaper, I joined iNFOnews.ca in 2014. My goal in the news industry has always been to deliver accurate and interesting articles about local people and places. My interest in the profession is life long - from my earliest memories of grade school, I have enjoyed writing.
As an airborne geophysical surveyor I travelled extensively around the globe, conducting helicopter borne mineral surveys.
I also spent several years at an Okanagan Falls based lumber mill, producing glued-wood laminated products.
As a member of the Kaleden community, I have been involved in the Kaleden Volunteer Fire Department for 22 years, and also serve as a trustee on the Kaleden Irrigation District board.
I am currently married to my wife Judy, of 26 years. We are empty-nesters who enjoy living in Kaleden with our Welsh Terrier, Angus, and cat, Tibbs.
Our two daughters, Meagan and Hayley, reside in Richmond and Victoria, respectively.

Steve Arstad's Stories

More Articles