Ian Porter has been a pilot for more than 40 years and flown in and out of Pemberton Regional Airport (CYPS) for more than 25. It’s a recreational and professional passion he has passed down to his three kids, who are also licensed pilots. Porter owns Fort Langley Air and built an airplane hangar at CYPS.
But after years of little to no maintenance to the tarmac in Pemberton, he’s speaking out, with a goal of shining a light on threats to safety and the importance of maintaining a municipal asset.
“This summer, the grass growing out of cracks in the [tarmac] was two feet high. You literally had to taxi the airplane around two-foot-high weeds growing out of the cracks in the runway,” he said.
“You don’t want to have to adjust your airplane to avoid cracks or weeds. This is a massive safety concern based on the Village of Pemberton’s report."
Pemberton’s airport ‘riddled’ with cracks
Pemberton’s cracked airport runway was last repaired in 2016, and this year the Village of Pemberton (VOP) received grant funding from the province for repairs. A total of $121,500 was given by the province, and mayor and council agreed to contribute up to 25 per cent of the costs for the project. Elizabeth Tracy, chief administrative officer for the VOP, said in an email the estimated cost is $130,000.
The repairs started because of the municipality’s own assessment, which indicated the airport is “riddled” with cracks that “present safety hazards.”
A report from project engineer Sachindra Wijayabandara on Dec. 5, 2023, outlines the extent of the problem.
“Pemberton Regional Airport (CYPS) needs rehabilitation work, with runway resurfacing as a top priority the tarmac’s current condition is riddled with large cracks, some measuring 10 cm wide,” it notes.
“Cracks create an uneven surface and disrupt visual painted markings, which present safety hazards to aircrafts. Leaving cracks unchecked enables moisture to permeate the asphalt, leading to further degradation.”
The report notes the VOP is responsible for “all maintenance and repair work.”
Regulars at the airport have adapted to the conditions, but Porter said someone who isn’t a frequent flyer won’t have the same local knowledge.
The municipal report noted airport users span tenants, commercial operators, tourists and film industry, visiting pilots and emergency personnel who “also rely on this infrastructure being adequately maintained.”
Insufficient repairs?
The VOP contracted Sealtec for the work, which started and then paused this fall. The work stopped because of “weather conditions and the extent of the repairs,” according to Tracy. By Oct. 13, Pemberton airport users were advised the work was complete.
However, several pilots who were onsite found remaining cracks and grass still growing out of the tarmac in places, and want to know whether there has been a miscommunication between the VOP and pilots about the scope of the repairs.
In June, the VOP told Porter work would see vegetation removal before crack-sealing with asphalt and mastic, an engineered sealing material. These repairs will crack again because of environmental conditions, and a permanent solution, repaving, would run $2.5 million.
After learning from pilots the paused repairs were insufficiently complete, Pique reached out to the VOP a second time to determine what parts of the tarmac were repaired, what remains, and if there is a timeline for the work.
Tracy wrote that since the work was finished over a holiday weekend, staff haven’t reviewed “the completed work and is not at liberty to discuss at this time (Oct. 15).”
She went on to say the contractor was directed to focus on runway repairs “over auxiliary areas such as the apron and taxiway,” but the contractor was directed to get “as much done as possible within the allocated budget.”
“The scope of work was always variable depending on the extents of the cracks, which were found to be very deep once weeds were removed, and required much more material than anticipated,” she wrote.
When asked for a detailed engineering report, she said the assessment was visual and there was no engineering report.
Aside from safety, Porter wants to know why the VOP doesn’t invest more in maintenance of the asset, and why officials chose to wait months for a grant approval before fixing the problem.
“It might have been out of the village’s pocket versus out of a government grant, but that’s what you have to do for protecting life safety when you own an airport,” Porter said. “The Village of Pemberton made a knowing decision to not spend that money, and risks my life and other pilots' lives to defer it until they get a grant from the government. That’s fundamentally wrong."
Work not required by Transport Canada
Porter has filed a report with Transport Canada, the federal department responsible for air transportation regulations.
According to a Transport Canada communications official, all aerodromes—where aircrafts fly in and out of—are required “to maintain their markers and markings, wind-direction indicators, and lighting,” as per Section 302 of the Canadian Aviation Regulations.
Maintenance to tarmacs is not a requirement, but Transport Canada recommends owners create a maintenance program for “components, like tarmac.”
While Pemberton Airport is a registered aerodome, it’s not a certified airport, and isn’t subject to regular inspections by Transport Canada, though it does receive periodic inspections for verifying compliance with regulations.
In her first statement to Pique confirming airport repairs were paused, Tracy said airport safety and reliability is “essential to the Village of Pemberton. We are committed to ensuring that all airport users have access to a safe and dependable environment to operate.”
In terms of ongoing maintenance to prevent further degradation, she said staff will propose options for preventative maintenance to mayor and council.
In response to a question about what budget considerations are made for the airport, Tracy said the VOP's five-year financial plan balances infrastructure needs with other community priorities.
"We prioritize critical safety issues, asset maintenance, and projects with significant community impact,” she said.
“This process allows Council to allocate funds effectively while managing the tax rate, with input from staff and the public. We also seek external funding opportunities, such as provincial and federal grants, to support long-term capital planning.”
