The City of North Battleford is pushing ahead with efforts to be one of the communities included as part of the new WestJet Regional airline.

The Battlefords Chamber of Commerce passed a resolution supporting efforts to attract the proposed new airline to the Cameron McIntosh Airport last month. At the City’s municipal services committee meeting March 19, Mayor Ian Hamilton said he’s already started talking with other cities lobbying for WestJet service.

He had discussions with Mayor Jim Scarrow of Prince Albert, he said, and they are interested in including Lloydminster in the discussions as well.

The plan would be for the three communities to talk with WestJet and “find out more about their plans,” Hamilton told the committee.

WestJet announced they were going ahead with a regional airline that would begin operations in 2013. The new airline would use smaller turboprop equipment and would serve smaller communities.

There was also renewed discussion at the meeting about possible funding applications the City could make in the future that could alleviate costs of upgrading the runways and tarmac at the airport.

Councillor Ron Crush made clear he wanted city administration to be in a position to take advantage of any 50-cent-to-the-dollar funding for airport improvements that might be available from upper levels of government.

“I wouldn’t want to lose an opportunity to move that facility forward,” Crush said.