Brantford Airport Board

Amendment: THAT the Airport Board recommends that opportunities to assist 1 Air be explored by City Staff and the Brantford Municipal Airport Board of Management; and THAT a report back to the Airport Board will be prepared, if necessary, with recommended actions for consideration.

WHEREAS small and regional airports in Ontario serve as critical infrastructure—facilitating essential public services including air ambulance operations, forest firefighting, search & rescue, and law enforcement activities, while also driving local and regional economic development; and WHEREAS many of these airports are ineligible for the federal Airports Capital Assistance Program (ACAP) due to eligibility constraints such as lacking year‑ round scheduled service, yet still require capital funding for safety-related infrastructure; and WHEREAS the Airport Management Council of Ontario (AMCO) has identified a persistent funding gap for non‑ ACAP‑ eligible community airports, estimating that approximately 85 such airports need $5.5 million annually to address critical airside infrastructure needs; and WHEREAS provinces including British Columbia, Alberta, and Saskatchewan have successfully managed permanent provincial capital-assistance programs—offering clear models for cost-sharing frameworks, eligible project criteria, and annual funding envelopes; and WHEREAS AMCO’s proposed Ontario Airport Capital Assistance Program (OACAP) envisions an annual operational budget of $8.5– 10 million, with a 75% provincial / 25% owner cost-share, a 4 $2 million per‑ applicant cap, and bonuses for key community- benefiting projects; and WHEREAS the 2025 Ontario Budget has already acknowledged "airports as cross‑ country infrastructure" and signaled intent to include them in upcoming capita