Greater Sudbury Airport Receives 3.5 million in Fednor Funding

Sudbury Airport Development Corporation is receiving $3.5M from federal government to maintain regional connectivity.

Regional air transportation is crucial to local economic growth, the movement of goods and the connectivity of Canadians across the country. The pandemic has had major impacts on regional air transportation ecosystems, affecting communities and local businesses from coast to coast to coast.

The Government of Canada’s Regional Air Transportation Initiative (RATI), launched in March 2021, supports access to air transportation and regional ecosystems. In particular, it enables the continuation of existing air routes and ensures airports remain operational and able to contribute to regional economic growth, while adapting to new post-COVID-19 realities and requirements.

Paul Lefebvre, Member of Parliament for Sudbury, and Marc G. Serré, Member of Parliament for Nickel Belt, on behalf of the HonourableMélanie Joly, Minister of Economic Development and Official Languages and Minister responsible for FedNor, today announced more than $3.5 million in financial support for the Sudbury Airport Community Development Corporation (SACDC). This non-repayable contribution will help mitigate the financial pressures brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic by supporting the operations of the Sudbury Airport for a one-year period. The project is expected to help maintain 27 local jobs.

Regional air transportation is key to the economic development of communities and businesses right across Canada. It is essential to connecting Canadians living in rural and remote communities to urban centres, delivering Canadian goods to the global market and welcoming international visitors to all parts of the country, when it is safe to do so.

“It is important to protect our regional air transportation ecosystems for the thousands of workers employed by this sector and for the many businesses and communities that depend on it. We know that air connectivity to all regions is essential to healthy, inclusive economic growth, and supporting it is part of our plan to build back a stronger, more resilient economy.”
- The HonourableMélanie Joly, Minister of Economic Development and Official Languages and Minister responsible for FedNor

“Today’s investment of more than $3.5 million will help secure the ongoing operations of the Greater Sudbury Airport, and enable it to play a meaningful role in the region’s economic recovery in the months to come. This announcement is another example of how the strategic investments our government continues to make will help ensure that our economy recovers from the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and rebounds even stronger.”
- Marc G. Serré, Member of Parliament for Nickel Belt and Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Natural Resources

“I am proud of how our government is answering the call for help from the Greater Sudbury Airport and other regional airports like it across the country. Air transportation is key to maintaining the health of our regional economy and its future growth, and this investment will help it take off as the economy bounces back.”
- Paul Lefebvre, Member of Parliament for Sudbury

Mike Jakubo, the Greater Sudbury city councillor for Ward 7, which encompasses the Greater Sudbury Airport, said the federal investment will ensure the airport is primed and ready to take advantage of the expected upswing in traffic as people begin travelling again.
“This airport has always been an amazing economic driver for not only Garson, Sudbury, but all of Northeastern Ontario. It’s a key connection point for the northeast, to connect with the rest of Canada and the world. We need to continue to support the airport,” Jakubo said.
“This $3.5 million goes a long way to doing that, and from a city perspective, I just have to say that council has always been so proud to have an airport that does not draw on city tax dollars for its operations.”

“I would like to thank the Government of Canada for this important investment through FedNor that will help us continue to service the communities and businesses of this region. The COVID-19 pandemic has had a drastic negative impact on the air travel and transportation industry, and this critical support through the federal Regional Air Transportation Initiative will help bring stability to our facilities and our sector.”
- Todd Tripp, CEO for the Greater Sudbury Airport