My opinion really counted

I attended the first of three open houses gauging public opinion on what to do with the Edmonton City Centre Airport (ECCA). It was at Grant MacEwan's downtown campus and it was, umm, not well attended.


(This photo is only slightly misleading. By voting time there was one other guy.)

There were a few people around 5:30-7pm while I hung around Grant Mac. So there were a few paper surveys dropped off. I'm also told (by that lonely survey organizer in the photo) that there were a few people for the electronic tabulations at 4pm.

The neat thing about the open houses is the survey of three-dozen or so questions. You get a little electronic gadget, just like "America's Funniest Home Videos," which lets you lock in your vote. The questions are all about the two possibilities for the ECCA and ask you if you agree, disagree, strongly agree, don't know, etc...

The results for each question are then shown up on a screen. Since it was just me and one other guy most questions had two answers, split 50-50. We did agree on a couple "undecided" ones though.

While it will be much better for the whole process if more people come out to the second and third open houses it was cool to see my answers go head-to-head. It certainly was no secret after one or two questions that me and this other guy were on opposite sides of the debate. Things were kept cordial, we did not end up throwing punches.

Make sure you have your say on the airport and its land. The survey results (with comments from the paper versions) will be part of the package submitted to City Council for their decision.

The two remaining choices are an airport with reduced air traffic (likely just one runway), a few more transit connections and some new buildings - one of which is being called a "Mayo Clinic" of the north, with little explanation. The second choice is a mixed-use development with a transit hub, places for business, more NAIT, and residential neighbourhoods.

Don't forget to follow the online debate on Twitter. Search for the hashtag #ecca.

And the sky is still blue

The Alberta Enterprise Group continued its fight to keep the Edmonton City Centre Airport (ECCA) open, this week.

They loaded up two planes with reporters and photographers and held what was called the Great Airport Race. The plan? The two planes would take off from the ECCA, fly up toward Westlock, Alberta and head back to Edmonton. One plane would land at the City Centre and the other would touch down just south of the city at the Edmonton Internationl Airport (EIA).

The reporters et al. would then race by cab to downtown Edmonton. You'd think the name of the airports alone would have told you which one was closer. One is named "City Centre" which leads me to believe it would be in or near a downtown area.

Not surprisingly, it took longer to taxi across the larger tarmac of the EIA and then get a cab ride up from Leduc. It also is not surprising to learn the longer cab ride cost more money. The Edmonton Journal had a balanced take on the race.

I don't doubt a lot of business dealings happen in downtown, since there are lots of office buildings and the Alberta Legislature. So I get why some people want the smaller airport to remain.

Unless they're coming from outside Alberta and likely landing at the EIA anyway. Or if their dealings happen at a business in the south end or somewhere not downtown. I do, however, like the idea of all important business people landing and only having 20 minutes to get to meetings. If that's the case, I wonder if we shouldn't close the City Centre Airport just to help them with time management.

There's also the constant mention of the life and death situation landing air ambulances at the International vs. City Centre poses. I am pretty sure Edmonton hospitals have helipads. The Mazankowski (whenever it opens) is even supposed to have one. I bet heart patients are among urgent cases we keep hearing in the threats.

To conclude my rant against the most obvious of outcomes to a race, here are other things closer to downtown than the Edmonton International Airport, you know, in case the City Centre Airport is closed:

The Greyhound station - Businesses could bus it instead of flying to the EIA.

VIA station - It's already in the city, but only works for people east or west of Edmonton.

Roads - People could drive if the Edmonton International was such a hassle.

And as a bonus - webcams and phones. I hear stuff can be accomplished over these sometimes.

If you're on Twitter you can follow this discussion under the hashtag #ecca. It will be (mostly) free of me rolling my eyes and have comments from lots of smart people.