Dawson City airport runway will be paved, minister confirms

Yukon's opposition has been pushing the government for its plans for Dawson City airport, and on Thursday they got them.

"I can confirm that we are going to pave the Dawson runway," said Highways and Public Works Minister Richard Mostyn, in the Legislative Assembly.

The Liberal government campaigned last year on a promise to pave the runway, something the previous Yukon Party government had also promised. Former Premier Darrell Pasloskialso allocated $395,000 in its2016-17 capital budget for a "Dawson City Airport Development Plan."

Last May, however, Mostynappeared to backpedaland suggest the ideawas an ill-conceived Yukon Party scheme, with poor planning and"a lot of holes in all the work that was supposed to have been done."

On Thursday, he said the government isnow working with Transport Canada "to make sure we've covered all ourbases."

"It's been a very long and involved process.I never imagined 18 months agoI'd know as much about airports as I do today," he said.

Mostyn, however, did not say when the work would be done.

The government set aside $250,000 in this year's capital budget to study improvements to the airport.