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Wing
Span
Archives
A
Day at YXX
Ross Brown describes the action.
Business
Directory
Who's
who at the airport.
Campell
Helicopters
Fighitng
forest fires Canadawide.
Canada
3000
Cover Story for this edition.
Conair
On
schedule. Big as a football field.
Economic
Impact
Latest
study from Jocelyn Purcell.
Flight
Training
Learn
to fly at Abbotsford.
Land
Use Plan
Overview
of the airport facilities.
Lighting
Up
Mike
Pastro introduces new safety program.
New
Fuel Station
Gerry Visser's dream comes true.
Road
Network
New connections and parking
Westjet
Update
Why Bryce Gibbs has a wide smile.
From
other editions
About
Abbotsford:
Angela
Warner gives her views.
Adventures
Explore
the mountains, rivers, lakes, plains and valleys of
Mighty Fraser Country.
Agricultural
Tourism
Watch
for this new feature.
Airport
Update
In the middle of everywhere..
Aviation
2000
Update on BCAC event at WhistlerSept. 28-30,
2000
Aviation
News
Business
is booming at Abbotsford Airport, major expansion
at Conair, plus a large industrial park.
Golf
Vacations
Every golfer east of the Rockies, will be itching
to get out on a lush, green golf course in Mighty
Fraser Country .
Gold
Rush Trail
Mighty
Fraser Country historic route to the goldfields of
the 1850s.
Hemlock
Close
to Harrison Lake and Hot Springs.
Manning
Park
Known for its many hiking and riding trails, the
area has been gaining popularity for winter
sports
Mount
Baker
A short drive from Abbotsford.
Snow
Safaris
All aboard for winter fun and spring madness in
Mighty Fraser Country.
Transport
Canada
Centre
Added
safety and inspection
Water
Adventures
Sights,
and sounds of Mighty Fraser Country's untamed
waterways.
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New
Era of Confidence Proves
Abbotsford Airport Means
Business
by
Jerry W. Bird,
Editor, WingSpan
  Canada's
National Airport Policy coupled with an historic Open Skies
Air Agreement, laid the groundwork for a total revolution in
general aviation and passenger travel. It came with a rush,
no better example being the rapid sequence of events here at
Abbotsford Airport. 1997 ushered in a bold new era, as the
City of Abbotsford, represented by Mayor George Ferguson,
and Abbotsford Airport Authority, under the leadership of
President Herman Driediger, pledged to fully develop the
airport's potential. Driediger's optimism was justified by
the airport's history and prime location in the heart of a
large, growing population centre, with the Trans Canada
Highway bringing visitors, new business and development to
the airport's very doorstep. Having earned world recognition
for the Abbotsford International Airshow and Aerospace North
America, the stage was set. As Herman Driediger expected,
virtually overnight, Abbotsford Airport was on its way to
becoming a successful, passenger gateway, with a brand new
air terminal completed in record time -- and on budget.
He
had little doubt that this cause and effect situation would
also be a magnet for general aviation and light industry. In
addition to increased action on the airport property, such
as the Conair Group's multi-million dollar complex, all one
needs to do is drive down Mt. Lehman Road and spot the
warehouses and commercial development springing up like
wildflowers on the airport's perimeter. At the Trans Canada
Highway's Mt. Lehman exit, are some further signs of
important moves afoot, affected by the airport's strategic
position. Much of that action has happened in three short
years.
Speak
of positioning -- a glance at any map of the 100 mile
stretch from Vancouver to Hope reveals that over 700,000
Lower Mainland and Fraser Valley residents are within the
airport's marketing area, According to recent studies, that
figure represents the number of persons who live closer to
Abbotsford Airport than its biggest competitor, Vancouver
International Airport. Just drive east from Vancouver any
time and you'll see what we mean -- wall to wall cars. Small
wonder, so many inbound and outbound passengers love our new
terminal with its convenient parking and laid back
atmosphere.
WestJet
Airlines' scheduled Boeing 737 service started the ball
rolling three years ago; now that company's daily flights
have been increased and its links extend far beyond the
original Abbotsford-Calgary- Edmonton triangle. You can
connect via Alberta to Grand Prairie, Prince George, Regina,
Saskatoon, Winnipeg, Thunder Bay, Ottawa, Hamilton and
before long- to Montreal. With Canada 3000 Airlines
providing direct weekly service to Toronto's Pearson
International Airport, since June, Abbotsford Airport's
passenger figures for the year should top the 200,000 mark.
What's next -- the Okanagan, Seattle, Portland, Las
Vegas?
Across the broad tarmac of Abbotsford Aiport, the Conair
Group's new $50 million aircraft maintenance facility looks
ready to go, and is scheduled to open in October. According
to Conair Group, business volume is expected to double and
employment to triple by 2004.For over 60 years, since World
War II, Abbotsford Airport has been a key economic engine in
the Fraser Valley. It has generated significant revenues and
created employment throughout the region.
Recently,
Herman Driediger and the Abbotsford Airport Authority
initiated an Economic
Impact Study to
measure the impact of the airport on British Columbia.
Pilot's
Choice. Fuel for the Cause
We
met Gerry Visser on a typically warm, sunny Saturday
afternoon at the Abbotsford Airport in a vacant lot next to
the Touch n'Go Restaurant. With hammer in hand and an air of
confidence, he was busily erecting the skeleton of a new
facility that will serve a vital need at the airport for now
and years to come. Gerry's catchy name for the operation is
"Pilot's Choice, " a 24 hour Prepaid Discount Card Lock
facility that will serve local volume users. For those
interested, a debit card service is expected soon.
As a
pilot and owner of two Piper aircraft, which he has flown
from here to Alaska, Mexico, Cuba and the Caribbean, Gerry
Visser knows how important 24 hour fuel access is to his
fellow pilots and owners.The facility will have two 50,000
litre tanks, with state-of-the -art filtration and an
environmentally approved containment (spill) system, safety
being a major factor.
(more to come)
New
Economic
Impact Study
Abbotsford Airport has been a powerful economic engine in
the Fraser Valley for generations, providing revenues and
employment throughout the region. To provide a picture of
future growth, while measuring the impact of the airport on
British Columbia, the Abbotsford Airport Authority
authorized an Economic Impact Study that's available on
request. Since 1997, when WestJet commenced scheduled
service, passenger traffic at Abbotsford Airport has grown
steadily, reaching a total of 192,000 last year to rank
fifth among BC airports. Already in 2000, with WestJet
adding a fourth daily flight in March, and Canada 3000
Airlines launching its Abbotsford-Toronto service in June,
continued growth is assured.
This
momentum carries over to the business and general aviation
sector, with Conair Group, the airport's largest tenant,
opening its $50 million aircraft maintenance and repair
facility in October. That single project will bring the
company a three fold rise in employment and double its
business volume by 2004. The Economic Impact Study
identifies 3 areas:
(1)
An estimate of the current economic impact of Abbotsford
Airport.
The results for 1999 Economic Impact were as follows:
Total Gross Revenues($ millions) - $176.4
Total Employment (Person Years) - 1,180
(2)
Incremental economic impact expected to result from the new
air services, being introduced by Canada 3000
Flights
Gross Revenues ($millions) Employment (person years
1
per week 4.4 28,8
2
per week 8.1
..57.1
3
per week 11.8 85.08
4
per week 15.4
,, 112.5
(3)
A forecast of the economic impact of the Abbotsford Airport
for the year 2004.
Total
Gross Revenues ($ millions) - $289.5
Total
Employment (Person Years) - 2,621
The
above estimates represent the province-wide economic impact
of the business and organizations located at Abbotsford
Airport, and are the sum of the direct, indirect and induced
effects of the industry and consumer spending.
Airport
and Tradex Success Spurs Major Roadworks
Close
to $1.934 million is being invested in an enhanced system of
roads, access roads, curbs and parking facilities at
Abbotsford Airport this fall and winter. Thanks to joint
funding by the Abbotsford Airport Authority and the Tradex
Fraser Valley Exhibition Centre, these new and improved
roadways, coupled with a major parking lot expansion
program, will relieve congestion and greatly improve both
access and services at the terminal building and adjacent
Tradex complex. During larger events at Tradex lasting
several days, coupled with more flights and full planeloads
by WestJet and Canada 3000, the traffic situation was
becoming critical.
The
long awaited completion of the Mt. Lehman Road connector,
construction of a new air terminal access road, and an
extension of Cornell Road are other key facets of the
program. Also included are curbside improvements at the
Abbotsford Airport Terminal.
Abbotsford
Airport is conveniently located just south of the Trans
Canada Highway at Mt. Lehman exit, and south the Fraser
Highway (which runs parallel, east-west). Mt. Lehman Road is
a main thoroughfare which provides direct access to the
airport's north-west corner. A new secondary access road was
completed in 1999 on the south-west corner of the airport,
allowing better access from the USA border, linking
Huntingdon Road to the airport's existing road network. On
the airport's north east side is Townline Road, a well used
thoroughfare that provides convenient access to the new
maintenance and repair complex built by the Conair Group.
Completion of new project phase is expected by the end of
2000.
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