Council questions who should pay airport fees for wildfire helicopters

Prince Albert councillors are examining who should bear the airport charges tied to helicopters deployed to fight Saskatchewan wildfires. The discussion follows a request from a provincial agency to consider reducing or waiving landing and parking fees at the city airport.

The Saskatchewan Public Safety Agency (SPSA) asked the city to lower or suspend the costs associated with stationing the helicopters in Prince Albert. The issue centers on whether local taxpayers should be responsible for these airport charges.

Officials noted that helicopter operators were billed for the aircraft’s stationing at Prince Albert's airport. The request from the SPSA aims to alter how these costs are handled moving forward.

The outcome of the council discussions will determine if the city will absorb, reduce, or waive the landing and parking fees for wildfire-response aircraft. No further details about agreements or specific fee amounts are provided in the material.