Ontario Supports Expansion of Thunder Bay Airport Terminal
Ontario is supporting major renovations to the passenger terminal of the Thunder Bay International Airport to help ease increasing traveller volumes and better serve passengers.
Michael Gravelle, Minister of Northern Development and Mines, was joined by Bill Mauro, Minister of Municipal Affairs and MPP for Thunder Bay-Atikokan, in Thunder Bay today to announce funding through the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation (NOHFC) to help the airport expand the departure lounge and customs clearance hall as well as provide more space for travelers.
In addition to expanding the airport terminal building, this investment will also help create 13 jobs and will continue to support new opportunities as passenger volumes continue to increase.
Investing in community infrastructure and creating jobs in the North is part of Ontario's plan to create fairness and opportunity during this period of rapid economic change. The plan includes a higher minimum wage and better working conditions, free tuition for hundreds of thousands of students, easier access to affordable child care, and free prescription drugs for everyone under 25 through the biggest expansion of medicare in a generation.
Quick Facts
Ontario is investing $5 million in this project through the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation (NOHFC) Strategic Economic Infrastructure Program.Since 2013, the province has invested more than $621 million through the NOHFC in over 3,845 projects, leveraging more than $2.2 billion in direct economic activity and creating or sustaining over 15,300 jobs in Northern Ontario.In the greater Thunder Bay area, the NOHFC has invested more than $108 million in 757 projects that have helped create or retain more than 2,450 jobs since 2013.Ontario is making the largest investment in hospitals, schools, public transit, roads and bridges in the province's history - about $190 billion over 13 years.Additional Resources
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"Our government recognizes that improving transportation infrastructure is vital to long term economic prosperity in Northern Ontario. Today's investment in Thunder Bay's airport demonstrates our ongoing commitment to creating increased fairness and opportunities for northerners by growing the economy, attracting more tourists and creating jobs."
"By supporting this important project, we are helping our airport expand to address the increasing volume of passengers and prepare for future growth. The NOHFC's investment will help the airport welcome larger international flights and attract new businesses to the area."
"We thank the province and the NOHFC for investing in the much-needed expansion of our terminal building. The Thunder Bay airport is experiencing record volume of passengers and this project will expand our capacity to accommodate more travelers.The airport has generated over 200 new jobs between 2008 and 2016. We are confident that this new capacity will greatly assist in extending our growth trend."
Ed Schmidtke