SYDNEY — Stakeholders who put collectively a petition relating to the J.A. Douglas McCurdy Sydney Airport shedding all business air service indefinitely are rallying the general public to signal it this week.
“Any Canadian citizen can signal it and we encourage them to take action,” mentioned Kathleen Yurchesyn, CEO of the Cape Breton Regional Chamber of Commerce, including they’re grateful for the help to this point.
“We’d like to see 5,000 extra signatures and it’s our intention to do one other massive push to completely different teams, unions and customers of the airport that may have direct concern or stakeholder engagement across the sustainability and for the airport to stay open.”
The petition is asking the federal authorities to supply monetary help to the airline business in order that the nationwide air carriers can then re-establish business air service to airports together with the airport in Sydney.
The final business flight out of Sydney airport was Monday morning.
The petition is open for signatures till Jan. 20 at 12 p.m. It may be accessed at https://petitions.ourcommons.ca/en/Petition/Signal/e-3057.
A video plea was despatched to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in December.
Yurchesyn mentioned though Cape Breton Regional Municipality Mayor Amanda McDougall has had correspondence with the prime minister’s workplace, they haven’t acquired a response to the video.
“We’re hopeful we are going to get a response over the following week or so,” she mentioned.
McDougall mentioned she is conscious of the airport’s significance.
“We’d like to ensure folks notice how unfavorable that is going to be on our group going ahead,” mentioned the mayor.
“We’re the one area that’s utilizing our voices so strongly throughout the nation and we’ve heard this from Air Canada itself and elected officers in Ottawa.
“We’ve simply in need of two weeks left to get as many signatures as attainable (on the petition) and to maintain this going,” she mentioned. “That is going to be a recreation changer not just for our regional airport however for the regional airports throughout Canada which can be feeling the identical concern and nervousness round being disconnected with the world that we’re.”
Understanding the final flight left the airport on Monday morning was heartbreaking, she added.
“I had hopes that negotiations would have been expedited earlier than immediately however sadly we’re the place we’re. Now it’s in our fingers to maintain this problem prime of minds throughout the nation.”
Mike McKinnon, CEO of the Sydney airport, additionally mentioned there was optimistic suggestions relating to the video and the petition.
“I believe proper now so many individuals are centered on the pandemic and that’s definitely comprehensible, it’s prime of thoughts, however in some unspecified time in the future, we are going to want air service again to ensure that our area to recuperate and getting service again gained’t be quick or simple, it isn’t like turning on a change and flights will resume,” he mentioned.
MacKinnon described the temper on the airport Monday as somber.
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