WHAT’S GOING to resemble a small town is soon to take shape at Northwest Regional Airport.
Nearly 400 trailers which served as accommodation units, kitchen units and other purposes supplied by Atco for Rio Tinto Alcan’s now-completed Kitimat smelter modernization project, are to be kept there awaiting their next use.
“They’re going to be parked on one of the old runways,” said airport manager Carman Hendry of the arrangement.
And because the runway is behind the airport’s fence which separates its runway area from the rest of the facility, they’ll be in a secure area, he said.
“The runway isn’t used in the winter,” said Hendry of exactly where the units will be parked.
The units include a number which can also be used for storage.
“I’m sure this is more efficient than if they were taken all the way to Prince George or elsewhere only to have them returned,” he said.
Atco has signed a year-long lease with the airport and Hendry isn’t sure they will be there for that entire length of time.
“This is just one way we can raise revenue for the airport,” he said.
The airport just recently became a service provider for another industrial player in the northwest.
It’s leased out a portion of its parking area to LNG Canada, one of two prospective liquefied natural gas projects at Kitimat.
The lot will at first be used as workers prepare the site for the proposed plant and become a very active place should there be a decision made to construct the plant and accompanying natural gas pipeline.