New fuel tanks are being installed at the Pembroke and Area Airport.
The new above-ground tanks will replace the current in-ground tank that was installed in 1983. The new double-wall steel fuel tank is a split tank, carrying 52,500 litres of jet fuel and 22,500 litres of 100 low lead. The fuel tank replacement project is currently underway with a completion date of August 27th.
The airport says fuel sales account for an average of 40 per cent of their revenue. Pembroke & Area Airport Manager, Steve Gilchrist says fueling is a key part of operations on a daily basis, whether it’s visiting traffic, emergency refueling for provincial services or accommodating forest firefighting needs.
The $540,991.46 cost of the fuel tank replacement project was funded by the six owner municipalities, Pembroke, Petawawa, Whitewater Region, Laurentian Valley, Deep River and Laurentian Hills.
While the fuel tanks are coming from a company from Thunder Bay, local contractors such as G.P. Splinter, Petawawa Electric, Tom Mix Concrete and Tristan’s Mechanical will be doing work on the project.
The airport is continuing to secure funding from provincial and federal levels of government to assist with the runway rehabilitation. Local residents and businesses and organizations have already contributed $250,000 towards the Project Runway rehabilitation.
The Pembroke and Area Airport will celebrate its 55th anniversary in 2023.
(written by: Rudy Kadlec)
