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Companies unable to land at airportMARK BRETT

Western News Staff

More concerns are being voiced this week about the direction of Penticton Regional Airport in attracting new business.

At least two companies previously inter-ested in locating at the Transport Canada-run facility have recently decided to go elsewhere after failing to reach an agreement with airport management.

“I’d love to be on that airport (Penticton) and I’d be on there now if it weren’t for all the prob-lems,” said Jim Schwerman, owner of Seaplanes West Inc., who is in the process of moving his operations from Edmonton to Kelowna. “Right now I’m in a warehouse and I’m not even at the airport and that’s not going to do me any good. I wanted to be there (Penticton airport) and put in

a big hangar but forget it.“There’s other businesses too that want to be

there but you’re going to get the same response.”In order to lease the property he wanted

Schwerman was told his company would be responsible for building an access road and bringing in services.

“They would have to be up to airport stan-dards and then I would have to give it (road) to the airport and that’s just wrong,” said the owner. “It’s a beautiful little airport there but you’ve got to promote it. That place of yours would be full if you provided serviced lots for people.”

Someone else who found himself in a similar situation of having to pay for lot servicing to locate here was owner Paul Gibbons of Langley-based Riverside Helicopters.

He outlined difficulties he experienced in a story that appeared in the May 7 edition of the

Penticton Western News.“I’m really upset with the airport. I’ll be

honest with you I would have really liked to be there,” said Gibbons, who added he has since been contacted by a number of other commun-ities interested in getting his business.

He is currently in the process of finaliz-ing a deal on a piece of industrial property in Okanagan Falls where he may eventually build a hangar for his operations.

Penticton economic development officer David Arsenault would also like to see some form of assistance for companies like Seaplanes West and Riverside.

“There’s been a few businesses that have been interested in setting up at the airport and nothing’s happened,” he said. “Right now I don’t know what the direction is and I don’t see any long-term strategy, so do we just keep the status

quo? This affects our economy especially when we look at attracting other businesses and tourists into the area.

“I think the frustration from the City of Penticton’s standpoint has been the fact that we really have no say in what’s happening at the airport other than making suggestions. We want to be a closer partner with the development of the airport, but ultimately it’s not our property.”

Meanwhile airport manager David Allen reiterated his position that the limited financial return to the airport from operations like Gibbons and Schwerman’s do not justify the expense.

“So whenever you have a small operator who just wants to build a hangar and semi-retire it gets quite expensive for the airport to do that,” said Allen. “If we can’t get a return from our invest-ment why would we do it?

GOLDEN GIRLGold medallist Gina Kings-bury helps promote female hockey program

See page 20

MUSIC ALFRESCOS.S. Sicamous summer musical hits the road with 18 Wheels and new venue

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sports entertainment

IN THE GARDENCity provides land to give Penticton Community Gardens room to grow

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news

TEARFUL FAREWELL — Parkway Elemen-tary student Ariauna Atkinson receives a parting carnation from her tearful cousin Kaylee Wuthe, who is in Grade 1 at the school. Flow-ers and certifi cates were presented to the Grade 5 students Wednesday during the leaving ceremo-nies for those going on to middle school next September.

Mark Brett/Western News

see MP page 4