The first phase of an ambitious plan to expand capacity at the Lake Simcoe Regional Airport near Barrie is about to get off the ground.

In May, the County of Simcoe, which is the airport’s majority shareholder, received a grant of $1.5 million from the Southwestern Ontario Development Fund (SOWDF) for widening the airport’s runway. The project is part of an ambitious strategic plan at the airport that is valued at more than $60 million, and could turn the facility into a full-service regional airport with regular scheduled commercial service throughout Canada, the United States and vacation destinations.

The first phase of this plan is to widen the runway. At 100 feet, the current design cannot safely accommodate larger aircraft, particular in rainy or snowy conditions. Widening the runway by a further 50 feet creates the additional margin needed for safety.

In a report to Simcoe council on June 23, county staff estimated the cost to conduct the build out would be more than $6.6 million. That cost includes $2.3 million for paving, as well as $1.1 million for electrical work.

The County of Simcoe expects to contribute about $4.4 million to the project, with the City of Barrie chipping in $482,000. The remaining $1.75 million of the project value would be made up of construction and soft-cost contingencies, and would be shared by both governments.

Simcoe expects to tender construction work for the runway widening this month, and award the project in August. Construction is expected to start in September, and finish between May and June of 2021.

In addition, the airport is a member of the Southern Ontario Airport Network (SOAN), which comprises 12 of southern Ontario’s most significant airports. The network helps bring partnerships with airlines to local airports. Through SOAN, the Lake Simcoe Regional Airport has received a number of investment inquiries, all of which are calling for the expanded runway.

Further scopes of work outlined in the airport’s strategic plan include widening the runway from 6,001 feet to 7,000 feet. This, wrote county director of planning, development and transit David Parks in his report to Simcoe council, “would permit medium sized corporate aircraft such as the Learjet 45 to operate at maximum take-off weight under dry and wet runway conditions, and would allow the largest intercontinental corporate jets to operate at maximum takeoff weight under dry runway conditions, and near their maximum weight under wet runway conditions.”

No scheduled has been set for extending the runway.