What was said at the Moosomin Airport opening
September 23, 2024, 10:30 am
A few quotes from the speakers at an event Tuesday to mark the opening of Moosomin’s airport.
Jeff St. Onge
I find it just absolutely so exciting. This morning at 9:36 am I heard from a company in Calgary, they have a client that would want to fly in here regularly. We’re just co-ordinating that. So it’s just mind boggling—build it and they will come—it is such a growth opportunity for this part of the province. I’m also delighted that we have Minister Carr here. When we started the project we contacted the Ministry of Highways and got ahold of Minister Carr and had a meeting at 8:30 on November 5, 2018 with Dr. Van and I. So I think it’s so fitting that you’re here on both ends—you were here at the start and you’re here at the tail end. I am so thrilled that you’re here.
David Moffatt
It is with much pride and responsibility that I stand before you, representing the RM of Moosomin. As owner and operator of the airport, I truly feel that the airport belongs to all of us and everyone who has committed time, money and passion to help see our region grow. It’s important to us to make this area grow. The airport is a lifeline for medical emergencies, a hub for economic growth, and a gateway for connecting our region to the world. By successfully landing the Air Ambulance on our runway, we acknowledge today a great milestone with the Government of Saskatchewan and the Ministry of Highways. We know that we have more to accomplish and we need the community to work together to add another dimension to the airport by the way of lighting and navigation systems. The RM of Moosomin is dedicated to ensuring that our new airport remains a valuable asset to our region. We are committed to the success and wellbeing of the people we serve.
Lori Carr
I know it’s a super exciting day for everybody that has finally come to fruition. Today we’re here to mark a very special milestone. We gather to celebrate the recent completion of the new and longer runway at the Moosomin Airport. Thanks to that accomplishment, the airport can now land fixed wing Air Ambulances to serve the citizens of the region. This also better positions the southeast for growth from the mining sector and various other businesses. Our provincial government is proud to have played a role in your achievement. We did this by investing more than $2.4 million towards Moosomin Airport’s ongoing infrastructure project. It simply made sense based on the drive of the community and the positives that could be achieved by that outcome but the real hard work was done by everyone in this region. Our provincial government applauds the community spirit and tenacity of the Moosomin area. Your determination helped your local airport infrastructure project get off the ground and take flight. It’s an example of rural and urban communities, industries and businesses of all sizes, service groups and neighbors setting a clear objective then reaching for the sky and getting it done.
I truly believe that there’s no other place like Saskatchewan where we can bring community, industry, individuals and governments together and really, truly make a project that means so much to, not just the community, but a region—and this truly is a regional investment and will serve you guys for years and years to come. So thank you for demonstrating what makes this province great and for helping to keep what makes Saskatchewan strong.
Dr. Van
This is unbelievable. I’ve thought about this so much—what does this mean for us? What does this mean for every one of us? You think about it—all of the communities, all of the private investors, two provinces—everybody coming together for one project that benefits everyone. For me, it’s just been an unbelievable experience. We barely had talked to people and they were like, ‘We’re here. Here’s my tractor.’ Whatever we didn’t have, Jeff was like, ‘Here, you guys can help us right?’ People like Jeff, and everybody sitting here, contributed in whatever manner they could. Such an unbelievable experience.
What does this mean for our patients, in my other profession that I do in my spare time? It gives us options. About two days after the airport was landable, I was on the phone because we had someone who was really sick and had to go out of our community to where they need care. Within 53 minutes the Air Ambulance was here and the person in critical need got care. For me, that’s what this is about. For everybody that has been involved in any way, shape or form, thank you.
Tyler Thorn
When this project first started, and I still get a little emotional when I talk about this, I didn’t know anything about airports but a friend of mine said to me one day, ‘What is it worth to you if your kid needs to get on the Air Ambulance someday?’ That was what it took for me to open my eyes and see how important this airport is because if my kid, or any kid, needs to be on that airplane then I want that service to be there. Thanks to Dr. Van and Jeff because that’s where this whole thing first started. I want to congratulate the RM of Moosomin, the Reeve David Moffatt, the CAO Kendra Lawrence, Jeff St. Onge and Dr. Van from the Flying Club for the job that they’ve done on this project to get it where it is today. Raising the capital for a project of this size is obviously important but without the passion and determination of that group of people, we would not be here today.
I would also like to recognize the 18 towns and RMs for their commitment to the project as well and to say thank you to all of those local governments. Last but not least, thank you to all of the local businesses that made contributions as well. There have been numerous businesses that have extended their support—a couple of notables are Dan and Olga McCarthy from IJack, Scott and Brock Andrew and their family from Air Andrew, Parrish and Heimbecker and Conexus Credit Union. All of those contributed sizeable six figure donations.
Saskatchewan’s Doctor of the Year Dr. Van has explained the importance of the airport from the healthcare perspective and I’d just like to share a couple of thoughts on the importance of the airport from a business perspective. Having the airport opens up that range of businesses looking to expand and it makes the region accessible to the rest of the country and the rest of the world.
The airport allows the existing businesses and corporations in the region to get here much easier and more often. Typically when you have executives from those businesses and corporations here more frequently, they’re more likely to bring some new investment and expansion.
Also, I think that airport allows us to keep some really good entrepreneurs here. Private air travel may be a foreign concept to a lot of us, but we have some young entrepreneurs who are growing business across the province, the country and internationally and those young people want to be able to grow their business and be home in time to have dinner with the family or catch their kid’s hockey game and the airport makes that possible. Without the airport here I think we risk losing some of those young entrepreneurs to larger centres where they have access to aircraft. We now have a new tool in our tool belt with the completion of the airport and as a good friend of mine likes to say, ‘The only way to buy time in this world is with planes and people,’ and the airport gives us access to both. Thank you all for your time and contributions to this wonderful project.
Larry Tomlinson
It’s a great day to see something like this happen in our community.
To go back to the start, our local MLA wanted to have a look when he heard that a bunch of farmers were bringing equipment in, when he couldn’t get out there with his car and I had to take him in my truck.
So I took him out there and he couldn’t believe what was going on—local farmers and everyone out there just churning up dirt and getting it ready.
Well that’s what this community is all about and I want to thank everybody for coming out.
