Federal government giving Ottawa Airport $6.4M toward future LRT station
The federal government is chipping in just under half of what the Ottawa Airport says it needs to build a future LRT station.
Transport Minister Omar Alghabra announced $6.4 million in funding to the airport for its Trillium Line LRT station, which is set to be completed in 2022.
The Ottawa Airport had previously said it could not afford the cost of building the station after revenues plunged severely when the COVID-19 pandemic began and air travel came to a near standstill. The airport authority said last year it needed $13.5 million to cover the costs. The total cost of the airport LRT station is $16.9 million. The government says it "remains committed" to seeing the project through to completion.
In a news release Wednesday, Mark Laroche, president and CEO of the Ottawa Macdonald-Cartier International Airport Authority, expressed gratitude for the funding.
"Today’s announcement and the confirmation of funding for the Airport Terminal Station is welcome news. It will help us fulfill our commitment to build the station and ensure that YOW’s passengers, airport employees and surrounding communities are well served by reliable, predictable light rail service well into the future," he's quoted saying. "Connecting the airport with the city centre and beyond by rail will be an important selling feature as the aviation and tourism industries recover and we work to bring major events and conferences back to Canada’s Capital Region."
The $6.4 million will come from Transport Canada’s Airport Critical Infrastructure Program.
"The construction of the light rail transit station at the Ottawa Macdonald-Cartier International Airport will reduce traffic congestion and improve accessibility and connectivity to the airport by offering an environmentally sustainable direct link between downtown Ottawa and the airport,” Alghabra said.
The federal government is also giving the Airport Authority $5.7 million from Transport Canada’s Airport Relief Fund to help maintain continued airport operations.
The Trillium Line extension will bring the north-south O-Train line to Riverside South with a spur to the airport. TransitNEXT, a wholly owned subsidiary of SNC-Lavalin, is building the extension. While the line is still expected to be completed in 2022, the City of Ottawa said it was reviewing possible delays caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. John Manconi, the city's outgoing manager of transportation services, told councillors in May that a full update on the construction timeline wouldn’t be available until the end of this year.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Spectacular aurora light show to be seen across Canada Friday night
A rare and severe solar storm is expected to bring spectacular displays of the northern lights, also known as aurora borealis, across much of Canada and parts of the United States on Friday night.
Which Canadian cities have the highest and lowest grocery prices?
Where you live plays a big factor in what you pay at the grocery store. And while it's no secret the same item may have a different price depending on the store, city or province, we wanted to see just how big the differences are, and why.
McGill University seeks emergency injunction to dismantle pro-Palestinian encampment
McGill University has filed a request for an injunction to have the pro-Palestinian encampment removed from its campus.
Swarm of 20,000 bees gather around woman’s car west of Toronto
A swarm of roughly 20,000 bees gathered around a woman’s car in the parking lot of Burlington Centre.
U.S. says Israel's use of U.S. arms likely violated international law, but evidence is incomplete
The Biden administration said Friday that Israel's use of U.S.-provided weapons in Gaza likely violated international humanitarian law but wartime conditions prevented U.S. officials from determining that for certain in specific airstrikes.
Barron Trump declines to serve as an RNC delegate
Former U.S. President Donald Trump's youngest son, Barron Trump, has declined to serve as a delegate at this summer’s Republican National Convention, according to a senior Trump campaign adviser and a statement from Melania Trump's office.
Mother assaulted by stranger while breastfeeding baby in her car: Vancouver police
A person was arrested in East Vancouver Thursday after allegedly entering a car while a mother was breastfeeding her four-month-old boy.
'We have laws': Premier Smith says police action justified in Calgary
The actions, including the decision to use non-lethal force, to disperse pro-Palestinian protesters from the University of Calgary campus were justified, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith said Friday.
'State or state-sponsored actor' believed to be behind B.C. government hacks
The head of British Columbia’s civil service has revealed that a “state or state-sponsored actor” is behind multiple cyber-security incidents against provincial government networks.