Innisfail heliport working well since re-opening last November

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But their were problems too with its move to Big Bend, notably that the airport site is 12 kilometres away and with a rail crossing along the way.

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(Town of Innisfail)

Since, approximately $650,000 worth of upgrades have been installed in various forms.

The level of the heliport has been elevated to match the grade of the health centre parking lot; there’s also better fencing, and coordination has been formalized between the Town, Alberta Health Services and STARS Air Ambulance.

The crosswalk has also been enhanced.

“We very much appreciate Big Bend and the Innisfail Flying Club for having STARS land there for that year-and-a-half or so, but it was quite clear through discussions we had how important it was to have it eventually back in its original spot,” says Jean Barclay, Mayor of Innisfail.

“When someone needs STARS, time is a critical factor, and the closer you are to a hospital, the better.”

Barclay notes it was the pre-election 2021 town council which dealt with the major discussions around this project, with council’s current iteration simply approving it in the budget, which it did unanimously.

The majority of this project’s cost was borne by the Town, with financial contributions also coming from Innisfail Rotary Club and Kneehill 4H Club.

Barclay explained that it didn’t qualify for AHS funding.

AHS tells rdnewsNOW that in the time the heliport was relocated, there were zero adverse events related to travel to and from the airport and hospital.