Airport authority needed to market properties. (North Bay).

Seeking to develop North Bay's Jack Garland Airport to its fullest potential, city council is leaning toward the creation of an airport authority.

The city's five-year contract with a private company, ATCO Airports, which runs the airport's day-to-day operations, draws to a close in late January 2003 and city council wants some kind of governance body installed to take on additional projects, including the marketing of the facility and greenfield development.

"There are a number of options available to us, including a Transport Canada framework that exists for airport authority, which we're using as a guideline," says Susan Church, a North Bay city councillor and chairperson of the city's community services committee. "Our staff are examining that option in terms of the makeup of the board, years of office and how the operation of the airport would go."

Church says council has not determined if the governance model will be labelled as an authority or commission, nor have they determined how the entity will be structured, but it will likely operate at "arms length" from the city.

"We would be looking for an opportunity to review the operations of the entity on an annual basis, but they would have to have the autonomy to run the airport as they see fit."

The terms of reference are being sketched out by the city's administrative officer, who is expected to table a report in early October.

"It has to be a group of individuals who are familiar with the aerospace industry and are with the aviation industry and will continue on with the work of the Air Base Property Corp.," says Church.

Within the last few years, Jack Garland Airport has undergone a number of upgrades and improvements, including the completion of a new $6-million airport terminal, Canadore College's $12.5-million aviation centre, combined with the ongoing growth of the local aerospace industry through the volunteer efforts of the Air Base Property Corp.

ABPC received a major financial boost in early September with $500,000 in FedNor funding to improve and market its Aerospace Centre property, the site of some former Canadian Forces Base hangars.

That money is earmarked for work on wail reinforcements for an administration building, modernizing the property's electrical supply, sewage and water improvements, aircraft ramp repairs, parking lots and perimeter fencing.

A $150,000-marketing campaign is planned for October to help attract new tenants following the completion of the project. There are about 12 hectares of property left to develop.

"We felt the airport has been marketing aggressively in order to be developed and the past terms of reference included marketing with ATCO, but more of an operational contract with them." says Church.

North Bay received control of the airport through transfer from Transport Canada five years ago, and entered into an agreement with ATCO to run the operation. The contract expires Jan. 31.