RM of Moosomin receives Municipal Award for airport expansion

The RM of Moosomin has received the Rural Initiative Award at the Saskatchewan Municipal Awards for its role in the Moosomin regional airport expansion. The RM was nominated by the Town of Moosomin, which submitted the application. "We were nominated by the Town of Moosomin. They were the ones who put in the application, and we won the Rural Initiative Award for what they considered an impressive initiative, completing the airport for the region," said RM of Moosomin administrator Kendra Lawrence. Lawrence said the award reflects contributions from multiple groups involved in the project. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW "It was very nice to win it for the RM and all of the other municipalities, people, and corporations that contributed toward the project. It wasn't just us that won it. It was everyone who helped make the airport expansion happen. It's nice to be recognized by the province and our peers, but again, it's not solely for us. It is for everyone who assisted with the project. We really see it as a group effort. "The airport is owned by the RM, so that made us the lead on the project. But we knew it would support healthcare and economic development for the entire area and benefit all of our ratepayers. We were kind of the manager of the project, but it could not have happened without everybody." Lawrence said fundraising was impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic initially. "Fundraising was a bit of a struggle at first. Covid definitely made things more difficult because we were about to launch our fundraising initiative at that time. But people believed in the project and stepped forward." She says the airport supports both healthcare and economic development in the region. "It is important for the healthcare aspect, especially for air ambulance services. It will also support economic development, with increased air traffic and more businesses coming in and out of the region. The impact will be healthcare access and economic development growth for the whole region. "The Town of Moosomin did notify us that they were looking at nominating us for the award. I had actually submitted an application the year prior on behalf of the RM of Moosomin, but we did not receive the award then. This time, the Town of Moosomin submitted the application after working on it together." ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW This is the first time the RM has received recognition with a Saskatchewan Municipal Award. The airport project also received an award from the Saskatchewan Economic Development Association earlier this year. "Murray Gray accepted that award on our behalf in Saskatoon," said Lawrence. "There were four awards in total. Ours was the Rural Initiative Award. There was also another rural award for collaboration, and two urban awards that will be announced at the SUMA convention in early April. "They do not usually indicate that one recipient is better than another. I think they look at how new the project is, how large it is, and the overall impact. If we take on another initiative or project that showcases what the area can do, we may submit again, or submit on behalf of another municipality." RM of Moosomin Reeve David Moffat said the award reflects the many contributors involved in the project and the co-ordination required to bring it to completion. "That was a pretty special award, really," Moffat said. "To do it justice, it's the people behind it -- like the towns involved -- and to have out-of-province contributors too, that also is pretty special. When you throw local government back into it, it's quite an accomplishment." He said the project began under an Airport Authority Board, with early fundraising driven by community presentations and support from individuals and businesses. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW "We went around and did presentations, and once the money started flowing in, it ran," he said. "You started seeing individuals and corporations start kicking in. It took a bit of work." As construction progressed, co-ordination with engineers and contractors became a key part of the process. "Once the building of the project started, that's where it took a lot of time to co-ordinate with the engineers and with the contractors to keep it going," he said. Moffat said the airport will play an important role in the region, particularly when it comes to emergency response. "The biggest role that it is going to play is being able to get our youth out and any heart victims in a timely fashion," he said. "I think we're talking 50 minutes. That saves lives, definitely." He added that the airport will also support business activity and economic growth. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW "With it we can get into the corporate and business side. I do believe that it's going to be well utilized," he said. With construction now complete, a new board is being established to oversee operations and future development, while the RM will retain ownership. "They'll be working with the RM, we'll still maintain ownership -- but that board will be doing the day-to-day planning, development, and moving it forward and making it viable," he said. The RM will continue to assist with maintenance such as mowing and snow removal, while operational responsibilities transition to the new board. "It will be in their capable hands," he said. The Moosomin Integrated Municipal Airport Board (MIMAB) is currently being formalized and is expected to take over operations in the coming weeks. "They have been together already. Everything legality-wise is being formed right now, and I would say within the next month they'll be pretty much in control to move this ahead," he said. ONTARIO NOW NEWSLETTER Get our free new weekly newsletter Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. Please enter a valid email address. Sign Up This newsletter is only available for subscribers. If you are already a subscriber, please login now. If you want to become subscriber, please click here Yes, I'd also like to receive customized content suggestions and promotional messages from thepeterboroughexaminer.com. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. ONTARIO NOW NEWSLETTER You're signed up! You'll start getting Ontario Now in your inbox soon. Want more of the latest from us? 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