Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Since receiving the letter from Fort Smith leadership in June of 2019, the former Minister of the Department of Infrastructure and I have both provided multiple responses that explained why the decision was made to proceed with the project.
Transport Canada sets the standards by which airports are designed and operated. Airport owners and operators, such as the GNWT, apply those standards and construct and operate airports to meet current and future operational and regulatory needs. The GNWT reviews airport infrastructure on a regular basis to identify current and future needs and, Mr. Speaker, it was identified that the lighting at the Fort Smith airport was in need of replacement. As a result, the GNWT secured funding from the Government of Canada for the installation of the new LED airport lighting. Since the lighting replacement project would have required digging up sections of the runway, the GNWT decided to review the runway width requirements at the Fort Smith airport at the same time. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.