Airport to get two new boosters

By MARKUS ERMISCH Mar 25 2007 http://www.kamloopsthisweek.com/

TRU president Roger Barnsley and prominent Kamloops businessman Kevin Jardine are expected to head a group that will lobby Ottawa for funding to expand Kamloops Airport, KTW has learned. An official announcement is expected soon, possibly as early as this week. Coun. John O’Fee, president of the Kamloops Airport Authority Society (KAAS), said the group is working toward “some kind of launch” but wouldn’t comment on specifics. Jeff Putnam, who is in charge of organizing city-related media events, said there are “exciting plans,” but also declined to comment further. Barnsley wouldn’t confirm that he has been approached to head the group. He did say, however, that an expanded airport with a greater variety of direct connections would offer a “great deal of benefit for all areas of the community.

“It would be a great convenience for our staff, there’s no question of that,” he said. “I just wouldn’t link it to hiring people. I think it certainly would help our operations tremendously.” A loosely organized group to lobby senior levels of government for airport funding was formed in January, when four local businessmen — Darcy Alexander, Russ Cundari, Frank Quinn and Bud Smith — offered to help the city. Todd Stone, president of iCompass Technologies, later joined the group. To date, the province has contributed $4 million toward the $20-million expansion project. A $5 per passenger airport improvement fee, expected to be increased to $10 next year, will raise $10 million. KAAS is hoping the federal government covers the remaining $6 million.