NORTHWEST REGIONAL AIRPORT

The Northwest Regional Airport, Terrace-Kitimat, is owned and operated by the Terrace-Kitimat Airport Society, formed under the Society Act (British Columbia) in 1998 to accept the transfer of the ownership and operation of the airport from the federal Department of Transport. The federal government had set out the National Airports Policy in 1994 to transfer the ownership and operation of the majority of Canadian airports to local communities. The exceptions were the major airports and large regional airports, over which the federal government maintained ownership but entered into long-term leases (60 years with an option to renew for 20 years) with local Airport Authorities. In British Columbia, Vancouver, Victoria, Kelowna and Prince George are examples.

Negotiations were completed and the Terrace-Kitimat airport transferred to the Terrace-Kitimat Airport Society on March 30, 1999. The Terrace-Kitimat Airport Society is an independent, non-governmental not-for-profit corporation. As a not-for -profit corporation, the Airport Society has no shareholders and therefore no shareholder benefits; any profit is used to improve the airport.

The Terrace-Kitimat Airport Society consists of seven directors and the employees of the Airport Society. The by-laws of the Society set out how the Directors are nominated and the length of their terms. There are four members of the Society, who are the original applicants for incorporation of the society. They are: the City of Terrace, the Terrace and District Chamber of Commerce, the Kitimat Chamber of Commerce, and the Regional District of Kitimat-Stikine. Each of the four members appoints one Director. These four Directors then create a list of nominees and deliver the list to the members, who in turn elect three directors from the nominees.