Not everything shut down at airport

By Gillian Slade on May 5, 2018.

gslade@medicinehatnews.com  @MHNGillianSlade

While the airport is closed to air traffic for the rest of May, some businesses are still operating there.

Front Porch Classics, the restaurant at the airport, has become particularly popular for Sunday brunches. After just a few weeks of offering the buffet brunch, numbers were doubling with 180 people served last Sunday, said Keith Bachler, owner and red seal chef.

Front Porch Classics opened in December and has windows looking out on the airport runway. There is an extensive menu including breakfast offered all day. They’re open from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday to Friday, and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sundays.

“We’re one of Medicine Hat’s best kept secrets. We make everything from scratch here,” said Bachler, who makes a point of buying whatever he can locally.

Sunday brunch costs $18.95 per adult with seniors qualifying for a 10 per cent discount, $13.95 for youth between the ages of seven and 15, and free for children younger than six.

Bachler is already taking reservations for Mother’s Day brunch and is planning three timeframes to accommodate the anticipated demand. Although reservations for Sunday brunches are not normally required, Bachler is suggesting people reserve for Mother’s Day by calling 403-957-1986.

Other services that will remain open during the airport closure include car rental companies, and Air Canada staff will be on site to answer questions, said airport manager Jeff Huntus.

Closure of the airport runway begins Monday at 7 a.m. and will continue to the end of May to undertake rehabilitation of the runway and taxiway pavement surfaces. The airport runway was built in 1964 and has not had a major resurfacing in more than 20 years.

Organization for the work has been underway for some time, and unless there is significant weather that hampers progress, the work should be complete by May 30 and the airport re-opened on June 1, said Huntus.

The Alberta fixed-wing air ambulance service will continue to operate during the airport closure. STARS helicopters will be used to transport critically ill patients out of Medicine Hat.

The fixed-wing air ambulance service will still be used for urgent cases requiring transfer. A ground ambulance will take patients from Medicine Hat to Bow Island’s airport where they will be transferred to a fixed-wing air ambulance sent down from Calgary.

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