Thawing permafrost threatens runways in the North: Senate report

Thawing permafrost poses a threat to northern runways, says a new Senate report looking at how climate change is impacting critical infrastructure across the country.

The report was released in November by the Standing Senate Committee on Transport and Communications.

It includes four case studies examining infrastructure in the North, the Isthmus of Chignecto between New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, the Vancouver Airport and Marine Port, and the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Seaway.

“Most northern airports have gravel runways that were built on permafrost during the Cold War and have received few upgrades since then,” reads the report.

“The thawing permafrost destabilizes runways, which compromises the safety of northern aviation.”

On top of that, severe weather can impact availability of flights in and out of Nunavut communities that rely heavily on air transport to move people and goods, the report said.

Extreme weather events, which come with “strong, violent winds,” are becoming more common. Canadian North airline, for example, averages 175 weather-related flight cancellations per month, according to the report.

“These communities do not have access to essential goods in a continual, sustainable way,” the report said.

The committee also heard from Paul Irngaut, vice-president of Nunavut Tunngavik Inc., on challenges with marine infrastructure in the territory.

He noted some piers have “no infrastructure for sealift operations or for protecting vessels or the community.”

These problems are exacerbated by the fact that Arctic communities are seeing more marine traffic due to melting sea ice.

Alberta Sen. Paula Simons said she was “shocked” by how many different fronts transportation in the North is under threat.

“It’s not just a question of permafrost, it’s a question of rivers that run dry enough that you can’t bring barges of materials up the river, it’s about rising sea levels on northern coasts that change the way ships can come into port,” she said in an interview.

Simons said that going into the report, the committee had a “southern mindset” of what infrastructure looks like.

“We weren’t thinking of infrastructure as the literal snow on the ground, but of course in Nunavut, whether that’s dog sleds or Ski-Doos, if you don’t have snow you can’t travel,” said Simons.

“The infrastructure is also the snow and the river water levels and permafrost itself.”

Simons said the committee “relied heavily” on former Nunavut senator Dennis Patterson’s knowledge of northern communities. Even though he was not a member of the committee, he helped line up witnesses to ensure northern voices were heard.

The report concludes with recommendations for the federal government, such as “developing a detailed plan to meet the specific needs of the North.”

It recommended further investments into construction of all-weather roads, port facilities, and airport runways and permafrost research in the North.

Simons says the report hasn’t been presented to the chamber yet for discussion but the committee will be expecting a response from Transport Minister Anita Anand.

“We have to be preparing for the consequences right now,” said Simon.