At the June 30 regional board meeting, qathet Regional District directors voted to receive a report on the Texada Island Airport fencing project as information, and that staff be directed to continue exploring opportunities for grant funding.
The board also voted for the fencing project to be put into abeyance until such time as funding through grants and taxation is obtained, or the community expressed a desire to proceed with borrowing for the project.
According to a staff report, Transport Canada has advised that a fence is not a regulatory requirement for airport certification, but the standards and recommended practices do recommend a fence. The report stated that there was a near miss when a deer ran onto the runway, and KD Air, upon landing, swerved to avoid it and blew a tire. However, there is a wildlife management plan in place at the airport.
At the June 22 finance committee meeting, directors were provided a recommendation that a staff report on the airport fencing project be received and that the committee recommend one of three options to endorse regarding financing for this project.
There was a recommendation in 2017 of budgeting $200,000 for the wildlife fencing project.
