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Winnipeg Free Press
27-05-2025
- Climate
- Winnipeg Free Press
Province tabs $1.6M for Virden airport upgrades
VIRDEN — The province is spending more than $1.6 million to improve safety and expand traffic at Virden Regional Airport. 'This is an important investment that will encourage regional development and job creation in Westman,' Manitoba Municipal and Northern Relations Minister Glen Simard said Monday at a news conference in Virden. A portion of the $1,650,000 will go toward an improved weather information system for pilots. The improvements will support 24-7 medical transfer flights, said Simard (Brandon East). Tim Smith/The Brandon Sun Municipal Affairs Minister Glenn Simard speaks at the $1.65-million expansion announcement at the Virden Regional Airport, Monday. 'It's really important to have this type of infrastructure here and what it means for someone having a medical crisis, so that more Manitobans can get the care they need, when they need it.' The new automated weather observing system (AWOS) can transmit information such as wind conditions, temperature, air pressure and precipitation, enabling STARS Air Ambulance to make critical weather-based decisions. 'It's a big deal,' said Scott Andrew, a pilot at the training and flight school Air Andrew in Virden. 'For guys that aren't familiar with the area, it's (important). Every airport should have one … The more information you have, the safer it is.' Andrew said the system will also tell helicopter pilots (vehicles with different safety standards than planes) when to avoid the area due to weather. The provincial funding will also be used to cover the cost of a runway extension and new lights for the taxiway and runway. The runway extension will allow pilots to descend up to 250 feet from the ground, from the current 500 feet, when approaching the airport, which means it will be easier to spot the runway, officials said. STARS was able to land at the Virden airport, but has been more susceptible to being rerouted due to there previously being no AWOS system. Virden Mayor Tina Williams said there will be more peace of mind with the upgrades — and that will help the town of some 3,100 grow. Tim Smith/The Brandon Sun Scott Andrew, President and Accountable Executive at Air Andrew, after the announcement at the Virden Regional Airport on Monday. Wednesdays A weekly look towards a post-pandemic future. She said the benefits will encourage people who grow up in the area to stay home and will boost the town's profile as a more attractive place to move to, as well as improving the facility for agriculture-related flights. 'As a person who lives here and has never had to be on one of those medical transports, I'm thrilled that if I need it, I know that they'll be there,' she said, adding because Virden is located next to the Trans-Canada Highway, some 280 kilometres west of Winnipeg, it sees its share of emergencies. The airport was built in 1940 as a training facility during the Second World War. It was nearly shut down in the decades after, but community members rallied for it to stay open. Simard said the funding announced Monday should allow the facility to at least double its lifespan. 'We hope this updated and expanded airport will serve the people of Virden and the surrounding community for another 80 years to come.' — Brandon Sun
CBC
26-05-2025
- Business
- CBC
Virden airport expansion will accommodate larger planes, air ambulance service
The province is spending $1.65 million to expand the Virden Regional Airport, a move locals say will create jobs in the community while improving emergency medical access in western Manitoba. The regional airport, which is used for crop dusters, medical transports, an aviation school and corporate aircraft, is widening and lengthening its runway from 4,320 feet to 6,000, and adding an automated weather observing system. The funding announced Monday in Virden comes after pilot Brock Andrew and his family, who run their company Air Andrew out of Virden, have spent $1.5 million on airport infrastructure. "If you don't invest in your own home communities ... the community dies," Andrew said Monday. "Us putting the money into it allows for the life flight into here, allows for larger aircraft to come in and it allows for business to happen and prosper in rural Manitoba." Andrew, who helps operate the airfield, said investments in the airport are already creating change. In 2019, the airport had zero employees. Today, it supports 33 jobs, from pilots to maintenance staff. The majority are filled by young adults age 18 to 25. Around 40 students train at Air Andrews' flight school, with about a dozen earning their pilot licences each month. 'Critical infrastructure' Municipal Affairs Minister Glenn Simard, who grew up in nearby St-Lazare, said supporting rural infrastructure is a key part of the province's strategy for long-term growth. "Investments like these matter in rural Manitoba," Simard said. "The expansion will provide greater capacity and capabilities for the airport and have a positive impact on the local economy." The funding comes from the Manitoba growth, renewal and opportunities for municipalities program. Simard said the airport's expanded capacity will serve as a lifeline for nearby communities like Oak Lake, Miniota and Kola, especially in emergencies where Brandon may not be the closest or best option for medical care. The upgrades, like the automated weather system, will help STARS air ambulance provide 24/7 critical care, ensuring "Manitobans can get the care they need when they need it," he said. The facility improvements also strengthen Virden's ability to recruit health-care professionals and skilled workers by offering the kind of infrastructure expected in labour centres, Simard said. Virden Mayor Tina Williams said the project supports the town's growing role as a regional medical hub while providing major economic benefits. "This expansion and rehabilitation has allowed for commercial expansion, new business and improved medical transport for this entire corner of our province. The combination of funding from private business, municipal government and the province of Manitoba was a true collaboration for the benefit of us all," Williams said. The Virden Regional Airport, also known as R.J. Andrew Field, was first built in 1940 for the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan and hosted Royal Canadian Air Force trainees during the Second World War. Since the Air Force decommissioning in 1944, the airport has been kept active through the efforts of area residents, private aviators and, since 1954, the Virden Flying Club. The airport has become outdated and last year, the town of Virden and the Virden Airport Commission initiated significant upgrades, Airport Commission chair and Virden Coun. Bruce Dunning said. Andrew said the project has restored the facility's status as a centre for aviation in the region while benefiting the local economy. "These projects, they are lifelines," he said. Western Manitoba airport hopes runway expansion will boost traffic 2 years ago Duration 2:54 The runway at Virden's airport is too short and narrow to accommodate some planes, but local political and business leaders are hoping a multi-million-dollar expansion will change that.
