Fencing, terminals and runways among Nunavik airport updates
Province and regional government to meet in March to discuss this year’s projects
Nunavik health officials confirmed a new case of COVID-19 in Kuujjuaraapik on Thursday. (File photo)
KUUJJUAQ—After a polar bear walked right up to the Ivujivik airport terminal, regional councillor Salimuni Qavavauk said repairs to fencing need to happen right away.
“In the past two weeks there was a polar bear beside the terminal … they are dangerous, so the fences have to be fixed properly as soon as possible,” said Qavavauk on Monday, Feb. 24, the first day of Kativik Regional Government meetings.
There has been a lot of discussion around repairing airport fences, in Ivujivik in particular, said Ian Darling, the KRG’s director of transportation. Darling’s reappointment to this position was unanimously approved by councillors shortly before the transportation presentation that day.
Darling said one of the major issues with airport fencing is the permafrost heave that lifts the fenceposts—some as high as four or five feet.
“Caribou walk right under them,” Darling said.
The other challenge is the location of the fences and workers’ ability to reach them on foot with all of the materials needed for repairs.
Nonetheless, he said it is an issue they’re working on and in the short-term, they’re ordering snow fencing to plug some of the holes.
“The polar bear at the terminal,” Darling said. “That’s a scary thought.”
Over in Salluit, after contamination was found in the temporary airport terminal building, the provincial transportation ministry has responded and removed the contamination, Darling said. The results of air quality testing were clear, Darling said, and the remaining work on the ceiling will be completed in the spring.
The construction of a new terminal building for Salluit will be discussed in March when Quebec’s Ministry of Transportation and the KRG’s Department of Transportation meet in Kuujjuaraapik to talk over the year’s planned projects.
They’ll also talk about construction of a new maintenance garage for the host community. The replacement of Kuujjuaraapik’s gravel runway and taxiway and replacing the airport’s air navigation visual aids are also in the plans.
In Kuujjuaq, Darling said, Transport Canada would be resurfacing the asphalt runway, starting once the first sealift arrives.
“Darling said one of the major issues with airport fencing is the permafrost heave that lifts the fenceposts—some as high as four or five feet.”
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“The other challenge is the location of the fences and workers’ ability to reach them on foot with all of the materials needed for repairs.”
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Sometimes you just have to sit back and laugh at some of the comments by officials.
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If only there was some way to have wire fencing slide up and down on a metal pole should the metal pole move up and down. Thirty seconds of thought, put metal rings on the pole four feet apart vertically, have the ring also pass through the fence links. Pole moves up and down, ring slides up and down.
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As far as being able to reach the fence, seems people were able to get there to install the fence. If they can’t walk there (really?), maybe a snowmobile, ATV, truck?
Come on , nobody in Nunavik likes to walk let alone 200 feet