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e-3057 (Transportation)
- Keywords
- Airports
- COVID-19
- Government assistance
- Pandemic
Original language of petition: English
Petition to the Government of Canada
- The COVID-19 pandemic and related travel restrictions have had a devastating impact on air service across Canada;
- This has caused airlines to suspend routes and reduced capacity at airports all across the country;
- Due to these suspensions, the J.A. Douglas McCurdy Airport located in Sydney, Nova Scotia, has lost all commercial air service indefinitely, which has resulted in job loss and has severed air accessibility to our island;
- This loss of air service has direct catastrophic consequences to our post-secondary institution, tourism sector, business community, rotational workers, etc., by preventing us from sustaining our current economy and achieving any level of economic growth in our region as every aspect of our economy depends on air service connectivity;
- This situation is unprecedented, and the entire economy of our region is at stake; and
- Without immediate government action and intervention, it will take years, if not decades, to rebuild this lost air access and debilitate our ability to grow economically as a region.
Response by the Minister of Transport
Signed by (Minister or Parliamentary Secretary): The Honourable Omar Alghabra
The Government of Canada understands the needs and deep challenges faced by Canadian airports and the air transport industry in general right now, including J.A. Douglas McCurdy Airport located in Sydney, Nova Scotia.
Transport Canada has been working with a range of air industry participants, the organizations that represent them, and other government departments to analyze the current situation and develop appropriate options to support Canada’s air transport sector generally, and ensure that Canadians have the services they need at a reasonable cost.
Through the Fall Economic Statement, the Government announced $1.1 billion in financial support for the air sector through a series of targeted measures designed to support regional connectivity, critical infrastructure investments, and the continued operation of Canada’s airports.
The Government of Canada is engaging with Canada’s major air carriers regarding potential options for financial assistance. Any assistance the Government of Canada provides will come with strict conditions to protect Canadians and the public interest.
The Government will also ensure Canadians and regional communities retain air connections to the rest of Canada, as we recognize that regional connectivity is important to Canadians travelling now and in the future.
In addition, as stated in the Speech from the Throne, the Government will work to support regional routes for airlines to ensure that Canadians have reliable and affordable regional air services to support equity, jobs and economic development.
The Government understands that financial supports need to align with plans for a safe restart and recovery and will continue engagement with stakeholders to ensure alignment of our efforts.
February 18, 2021 (Petition No. 432-00527)
Only validated signatures are counted towards the total number of signatures.
| Province / Territory | Signatures |
|---|---|
| Alberta | 479 |
| British Columbia | 122 |
| Manitoba | 31 |
| New Brunswick | 109 |
| Newfoundland and Labrador | 40 |
| Northwest Territories | 9 |
| Nova Scotia | 6658 |
| Nunavut | 6 |
| Ontario | 760 |
| Prince Edward Island | 18 |
| Quebec | 110 |
| Saskatchewan | 30 |
| Yukon | 2 |