Tisdale to receive $250,000 towards their airport runway repairs

TISDALE – Airports around the province will see improvements through the Community Airport Partnership (CAP) program, with funding of up to $1.8 million.

The Town of Tisdale will benefit from a CAP grant, with the approval of $250,000 to repave its main airport runway.

The director of public works, Mike Kuras, said the current Tisdale airport runway surface is in poor shape. "The existing surface is beginning to peel off, leaving potholes. There are a few areas that hold shallow water ponds during and after a rain. The pavement is rough with several rough thermal cracks.”

Through the CAP program, the Ministry of Highways will commit $935,910 toward the projects, and airport operators will fund the remaining estimated $939,228. "Air ambulances, firefighting and policing services, agriculture and other industries rely on local airports across Saskatchewan to meet the needs of businesses and communities," Highways Minister David Marit said. "These infrastructure investments position rural and northern communities for growth, while strengthening our great province."

“We will be completing the rehabilitation of the paved runway. We will also roto-mix the existing surface into a granular base course, blade and shape the work area, compact the granular base to a well-keyed-in-place structure, surface the base with 65 mm of new hot mix asphalt, and re-establish the runway markings. The work area is approximately 10,900 m²," Kuras said.

Phase 1 of the airport improvements involved repaving the southern half of the runway, which was completed in 2024. Phase 2 will complete the paving work.

Kuras said the estimated total cost of the completed project is $1 million. “It is doubtful that our municipality would have been able to finance this project in any kind of reasonable timeline without this funding.”

The CAP program is funded on a 50-50 cost-sharing basis between the approved recipient and the provincial government, to a maximum of $275,000.

“The airport serves the agricultural community through the air applicators who have a base of operations. Farming is something that impacts everyone at some point along the way, but also gives the provincial air ambulance a suitable place to fly into. No one wants to need this service, but so many people are thankful for its existence.”

Annually, the air ambulance makes approximately 15 flights to the Tisdale airport.

A complete list of provincial funding allocated toward projects for 2025-26:

Total: $1,875,138 | Provincial Contribution: $935,910 | Airport Contribution: $939,22