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Various aircraft at the Drayton Valley Industrial Airport. (Supplied)
Open For Business

Aviation tour to showcase Drayton Valley Airport and surrounding area

Jul 29, 2020 | 11:32 AM

Showcasing the Drayton Valley area’s business, tourism, recreation, and educational opportunities is the goal behind an event being held at the Drayton Valley Industrial Airport next month.

On Aug. 8, the Pembina Regional Aerodrome Association and Drayton Valley Hospitality & Tourism Authority are hosting a delegation of business and government leaders for a fly-in tour and demonstrate that the Drayton Valley Airport is open for business.

Jerry Greiner, President of the Pembina Regional Aerodrome Association which now operates the airport, says they expect about 30 planes from various eras to all be on hand, including business jets, turbo props, and helicopters.

“It’s really to showcase all of the infrastructure that we have in Alberta and Drayton Valley,” says Greiner. “It’s going to be a tour of several different airports, with Drayton Valley being the first stop on their tour. We expect to see the first planes rolling in around 9:00 a.m. on August 8.”

The free event is also planned to include a mini trade show, where the Town of Drayton Valley, Brazeau County, Clean Energy Technology Centre (CETC), Eagle Point Blue Rapids Parks Council, Chamber of Commerce and others, are anticipated to have tables and tents set-up for attendees and members of the public to learn more.

According to Greiner, Drayton Valley Airport is one of 17 airports in Alberta with a 5,000 foot paved runway, allowing most business jets and private planes to land safely.

“We have a lot of land around the Drayton airport and the airport property that we would like to see utilized much more than what it is,” adds Greiner. “There’s definitely room to have things like maybe a motor shop, mechanical shop, or aircraft maintenance facilities. We can use our existing infrastructure and there’s lots of land for that.”

Greiner notes additional airport opportunities include a flight school, CETC facility for classroom instruction with local housing for international students, parachute training, and various other aviation-related businesses.

Tapping into some of that untapped potential could have a significant economic impact on not only the airport, but the community and region as well according to Greiner.

“The Canadian Owners and Pilots Association (COPA) did a study and they found that for every airplane that is in service, will bring an economic impact of nearly $100,000 a year to the town. So if we could attract those, it would be in the millions of dollars in additional revenue for the town and the area if we attract a few more people to base their stuff there.”

Ryan Fynn, President of The Drayton Valley Hospitality & Tourism Authority points out that the region also has a lot of back country for example, that offers several types of opportunities for both locals and visitors alike.

“There’s lots of opportunity for people that just want to go camping in the back country, we have a ski hill out here, we have cross country ski trails, we have opportunity for snowshoeing, off highway vehicle (OHV) riding, horseback riding, hiking, fishing,” he explains. “Our Brazeau Dam is about 45 minutes from Drayton Valley too and there’s a provincial park out there as well, so if you’re just looking to get out of the city limits and get away for the weekend, you can come to Drayton Valley and you can be in a campsite, you can be in a hotel, or you can just go into the woods and no one will be around you!”

With the entire world’s hotel and tourism industry one of the hardest hit during the COVID-19 pandemic, Fynn is hopeful an event like this one can slowly help turn things around.

“We have a lot of support from the Town and County and the Chamber of Commerce,” says Fynn. “We’re just hoping to make it a good event that people will remember their stop in Drayton Valley. We’re kind of showcasing Drayton Valley and hoping that maybe one day we can look at bringing more of them (business and government leaders) back here and just taking advantage of some of the opportunities.”