Brantford Airport Closure Questioned

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Brantford Airport Closure Questioned
City's direction has over 700 petitioners in disbelief

BRANTFORD, ON, 2007 February 21 -- Two petitions, one online and one
in paper, have now reached a total of over 700 signatures. The
petitions, started by a small business at the Brantford Municipal
Airport in Ontario, Canada, come in response to the City of
Brantford's municipal service review. The review threatens to shut
down the airport, the farmers' market, and community, youth, health,
and wellness programs.

The review places each municipal service into a range of six
categories. Category 1 services are those the City is required to
perform by provincial or federal legislation. Category 6 services are
considered irrelevant or without much benefit. Brantford has deemed
its airport a Category 5 service, despite a 1970 agreement with the
federal government granting the airport land to the City provided it
would continue to run as an airport.

The categorization officially justifies the City's cancellation of
airport funding. This tactic has the airport community baffled,
having come during talks between city and airport managers about
expansion and investment in maintaining the airport. Business owners
in particular feel hamstrung when it comes to improving or expanding
their operations, because the service review could last until 2010,
according to documents on the City's web site. "Who would invest in a
place today that could be vacated in a few years?" asks Pat Field, co-
owner of Brant Aero, the family-run business that started the
petition.

But uncertainty is only a small part of the effects of the review.
Closing the airport would mean the end for many community benefits,
events, and economic stimuli. Students from W. Ross MacDonald (one of
two residential schools-for-the-blind in Ontario) are able to fly home
to their parents on weekends because of the airport and are given
tours of airport businesses. The legendary Snowbirds and Canadian
Forces Skyhawks draw tens of thousands of people to the air show,
raising a substantial sum each year (over $29,000 last summer) for the
United Way. Recent filmings of Mooseport (2004) and Where the Truth
Lies (2005) at the airport have boosted the local economy, and
businesses there continue to strengthen the city's trade with the rest
of Ontario, Canada, the US, and overseas.

Many Canadian pilots first learned to fly at the Brantford Airport.
One petitioner recalls how many opportunities were given to her at the
Brantford Airport, remarking that the "location and atmosphere of the
airport make it an excellent place for people to learn to fly."
Another petitioner points out that even cities much smaller than
Brantford are currently expanding their airports. Quite a few also
draw attention to how difficult it is to reopen an airport compared to
maintaining an existing one.

The petition authors hope other communities can learn from Brantford's
situation, before their airports are put in jeopardy too. Until
Brantford decides the fate of the airport, residents of Brant County
and members of the airport community continue to voice their
disagreement with the City's stance.

The online petition is available at http://www.petitiononline.com/savecyfd/
..

Contact:

Kevin Field
Web Editor
Brant Aero
519-753-7022

http://www.brantaero.com/

# # #

Hell Kevin, that airport has provided more money for the city than 99% of
the airports out there.

One thing i noticed you mentioned is the 1970 grant of the airport. Have you
read it? WHat are the terms?




wrote:
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Brantford Airport Closure Questioned
City's direction has over 700 petitioners in disbelief

BRANTFORD, ON, 2007 February 21 -- Two petitions, one online and one
in paper, have now reached a total of over 700 signatures. The
petitions, started by a small business at the Brantford Municipal
Airport in Ontario, Canada, come in response to the City of
Brantford's municipal service review. The review threatens to shut
down the airport, the farmers' market, and community, youth, health,
and wellness programs.

The review places each municipal service into a range of six
categories. Category 1 services are those the City is required to
perform by provincial or federal legislation. Category 6 services are
considered irrelevant or without much benefit. Brantford has deemed
its airport a Category 5 service, despite a 1970 agreement with the
federal government granting the airport land to the City provided it
would continue to run as an airport.

The categorization officially justifies the City's cancellation of
airport funding. This tactic has the airport community baffled,
having come during talks between city and airport managers about
expansion and investment in maintaining the airport. Business owners
in particular feel hamstrung when it comes to improving or expanding
their operations, because the service review could last until 2010,
according to documents on the City's web site. "Who would invest in a
place today that could be vacated in a few years?" asks Pat Field, co-
owner of Brant Aero, the family-run business that started the
petition.

But uncertainty is only a small part of the effects of the review.
Closing the airport would mean the end for many community benefits,
events, and economic stimuli. Students from W. Ross MacDonald (one of
two residential schools-for-the-blind in Ontario) are able to fly home
to their parents on weekends because of the airport and are given
tours of airport businesses. The legendary Snowbirds and Canadian
Forces Skyhawks draw tens of thousands of people to the air show,
raising a substantial sum each year (over $29,000 last summer) for the
United Way. Recent filmings of Mooseport (2004) and Where the Truth
Lies (2005) at the airport have boosted the local economy, and
businesses there continue to strengthen the city's trade with the rest
of Ontario, Canada, the US, and overseas.

Many Canadian pilots first learned to fly at the Brantford Airport.
One petitioner recalls how many opportunities were given to her at the
Brantford Airport, remarking that the "location and atmosphere of the
airport make it an excellent place for people to learn to fly."
Another petitioner points out that even cities much smaller than
Brantford are currently expanding their airports. Quite a few also
draw attention to how difficult it is to reopen an airport compared to
maintaining an existing one.

The petition authors hope other communities can learn from Brantford's
situation, before their airports are put in jeopardy too. Until
Brantford decides the fate of the airport, residents of Brant County
and members of the airport community continue to voice their
disagreement with the City's stance.

The online petition is available at
http://www.petitiononline.com/savecyfd/ .

Contact:

Kevin Field
Web Editor
Brant Aero
519-753-7022

http://www.brantaero.com/

# # #

Do you mean through community events, or economic spinoff, or
directly, or...?

I haven't actually read it--I searched briefly for it online but
couldn't find it. It may be somewhere in the federal archives if
they're available. However, there is information on the Brantford
Airport web site:

http://www.brantfordairport.ca/featu...tory_facts.php

....now it has that clause about land reverting back to the Crown.
However, I talked to someone a couple days ago who has been in on the
aviation scene for decades, and he said he remembers seeing the
agreement with his own eyes at some point, and that it stated the City
had to run the airport "in perpetuity." I've recently e-mailed the
Airport web site author about their source but I haven't heard back
yet. I'd like to see this thing for myself, for sure.

Kev

On Feb 21, 5:47 pm, "Gig 601XL Builder" wrDOTgiaconaATsuddenlink.net
wrote:
Hell Kevin, that airport has provided more money for the city than 99% of
the airports out there.

One thing i noticed you mentioned is the 1970 grant of the airport. Have you
read it? WHat are the terms?

wrote:
Do you mean through community events, or economic spinoff, or
directly, or...?

All sources, the air shows, movies being shot there, use by patients &
family at the schools.



I haven't actually read it--I searched briefly for it online but
couldn't find it. It may be somewhere in the federal archives if
they're available. However, there is information on the Brantford
Airport web site:

http://www.brantfordairport.ca/featu...tory_facts.php

...now it has that clause about land reverting back to the Crown.
However, I talked to someone a couple days ago who has been in on the
aviation scene for decades, and he said he remembers seeing the
agreement with his own eyes at some point, and that it stated the City
had to run the airport "in perpetuity." I've recently e-mailed the
Airport web site author about their source but I haven't heard back
yet. I'd like to see this thing for myself, for sure.


You need to. Then if it is in perpetuity get the phone and write letters to
the federal government that the city is trying to break the agreement.

This might be it:

http://mikan3.archives.ca/pam/public...%20inspections

On Feb 21, 5:47 pm, "Gig 601XL Builder" wrDOTgiaconaATsuddenlink.net
wrote:
Hell Kevin, that airport has provided more money for the city than 99% of
the airports out there.

One thing i noticed you mentioned is the 1970 grant of the airport. Have you
read it? WHat are the terms?