During the Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Moose Jaw Municipal Airport Authority (MJMAA) on Jan. 11 at the Grant Hall Hotel, board executives revealed the results of a long-term development and prioritization plan produced by consultants HM Aero Aviation Consulting.
Board chair Greg Simpson and vice-chair Laura Lawrence presented the plan to a group including Mayor Clive Tolley, who also sits on the board, city manager Maryse Carmichael, representatives from airport businesses, the Moose Jaw Flying Club, skydivers, aircraft mechanics, and owners of private hangars and planes.
Simpson lauded the progress on the Municipal Airport over the past year. He said he had spoken with someone whose close relative was recently airlifted from the MJMA, confirming the real-life impact development can have.
"Air ambulance pilots are loving our 4,000-foot runway," Simpson told the meeting. "It's safer, it's easier, and it's just good to hear from them that that's working. Just about every flight they make is a life-saving flight, so it really is a blessing to have that."
Importantly, the Canadian Forces Snowbirds held their first-ever airshow at the MJMA in October 2023. More than 600 vehicles pulled up to the runway, and while a flock of migrating birds ended up joining in and cutting the show short due to safety concerns, organizers still considered it a ground-breaking moment. The airshow also raised nearly $3,500 in proceeds for the Moose Jaw & District Food Bank.
Other highlights include the submission of an application for designation as a low-risk traveller airport of entry by the Canadian Border Services Agency (CBSA), acquiring a FOD Boss runway sweeper and a snowplow, renewing funding with both the City and RM of Moose Jaw, development of a renewed website at CJS4.ca, a donated courtesy car and upgraded pilot's lounge, and, of course, the completion of HM Aero's planning strategy.
HM Aero's plan is expected to usher airport development strategy and prioritization for the next 20-30 years. It includes data on prevailing winds, engineering constraints for more hangars, aprons, taxiways, and business operations, provisions for further runway extensions, regulatory requirements, and much more.
"Obviously, we are going to be seeking out potential corporate partners for many of these infrastructure projects," Laura Lawrence noted in her presentation, pointing out that ideas such as a new terminal building, which would include things like a CBSA facility, a rentable conference room, and pilot and passenger waiting areas, will have costs in the millions.
"Funding is our biggest limitation going forward, but this plan gives us a place to start and guidelines for what to work on. We don't want to be building expansions that get in the way or that turn out to limit our options because we didn't have a plan," Lawrence added.
Long-term goals such as another 1,000 feet of runway, a line of t-hangars, and better road access to existing hangars (which will keep cars and trucks off the taxiways) might take years.
However, the MJMAA board has current CAPP program applications in for a SayWeather advisory observation system, phase 1 engineering on a new taxiway and apron, and a 2,000-foot cross-wind turf runway to the north. The full 49-page development plan will be posted on the CJS4.ca website within a week for review and feedback by stakeholders and the public.
"Our biggest thing is awareness, I think there's probably still a lot of people who don't even know we have a municipal airport," Simpson said. "Try having pizza delivered, they just take it to 15 Wing. ... That's why having the Snowbirds come to our airport for a show was so significant.
"We had about 600 vehicles, which was amazing, and I bet all those people know where the airport is now, and that will help us continue to develop as an economic driver and continue to offer those important services to Moose Jaw."
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