Released on February 17, 2016
The Ministry of Highways and Infrastructure has installed three web-based cameras at Sandy Bay Airport in northeastern Saskatchewan. Similar to highway cameras located across the province, visual information taken by the Sandy Bay Airport webcams offer views of the approaches to the runway, which allows pilots the opportunity to assess for potential weather-related hazards.“Our northern pilots travel long distances in all types of weather, and providing real-time visual information on the conditions at the Sandy Bay Airport will assist these men and women navigating these skies all year long,” Highways and Infrastructure Minister Nancy Heppner said. “As we have seen with our monitoring cameras installed throughout the province, we are optimistic this project will enhance safety for the pilots and passengers landing at Sandy Bay.”
“The initial response of the air operators and pilots who fly into and out of Sandy Bay is positive,” Saskatchewan Aviation Council President Janet Keim said. “There is no weather reporting station at the Sandy Bay airport. Now with the webcams, pilots and dispatchers have a visual tool that can assist in the decision making process for flights to Sandy Bay.”
Currently, images from the cameras are only available to pilots that require the information; however, the government is planning to make the information available on the Highway Hotline for the general public to view in the future. The Ministry of Highways and Infrastructure operates 17 airports in northern Saskatchewan at an annual cost of $1.9 million.
In addition, the government has invested approximately $12 million in upgrades to the Stony Rapids and Buffalo Narrows Airports and has partnered with West Wind Aviation to bring water and sewer service to Wollaston Lake Airport.
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For more information, contact:
Sonja Orban
Highways and Infrastructure
Regina
Phone: (306) 787-8484
Email: sonja.orban@gov.sk.ca
Cell: (306) 536-9692