Kamloops and Clearwater excluded from provincial air access grants

May 27, 2026 | 4:55 PM

KAMLOOPS — A pair of nearby applicants were shut out of funding in the latest round of the B.C. Air Access Program.

The Kamloops Airport had applied for funding for its upcoming terminal renovation plan. As an airport with fewer than one million passengers per year, the airport was able to apply for the cost-sharing grant.

This is not the first time the airport has been unsuccessful in receiving provincial funding for the project as the fund is routinely over-subscribed.

The Dr. Helmcken Memorial Hospital in Clearwater was seeking funding through the program to complete a helipad for use in emergency situations. Clearwater had previously been successful in receiving funding through the grant to complete a feasibility study for the very same project.

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In total, $8 million was distributed to 18 airports around British Columbia this year.

“The B.C. Air Access Program strengthens local economies and supports good jobs, while improving safety for people living in and travelling through rural and regional communities,” said Mike Farnworth, minister of transportation and transit. “This program recognizes that smaller airports help connect communities and are essential for the people throughout B.C.”

A list of projects that were funded through the BC Air Access Program for 2026-27 can be found here.

by Michael Reeve

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Kamloops and Clearwater excluded from provincial air access grants

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