North Bay city council thinks it is high time to revive the idea of establishing the city as an international air cargo hub.
“I think the time is now to get ourselves on the radar screen,” says Councillor Maureen Boldt. “We’ve got a 10,000-foot runway and we’re landing Cessnas and a couple of Air Jazz planes.”
Her Nov. 29 motion to contact senior levels of government about establishing Jack Garland Airport as a freight-receiving and distribution hub passed 10-1.
Boldt’s resolution was inspired by media reports of the Greater Toronto Airports Authority’s plans to build a $2-billion Pickering airport, which would serve as a regional reliever. The controversial plan sparked outrage in the 1970s, but the authority says the plan must be revived to relieve congestion at Pearson International Airport.
“North Bay would be a real cheap alternative,” says Boldt, with a 10,000-foot military length railway, rail links in all directions, a new $3-million airport terminal and an almost-complete Highway 11 four-laning link to southern Ontario.
In 2002, North Bay and Sault Ste. Marie collaborated on a logistics study assessing global opportunities and challenges for air cargo flights from Asia using trans-polar routes.
The report, prepared by InterVistas Consulting of Vancouver, indicated there was tremendous growth potential in the global air cargo sector, but cautioned it is a high-risk, high-reward venture that is “...highly and permanently vulnerable to poaching.”
