A Labrador MHA says rising airfare costs in the region reflects the inequity residents of Labrador face compared to other parts of the province.
PC MHA Lela Evans, who represents residents of Torngat Mountains in northern Labrador, told CBC News Monday it’s outrageous that the price of an average plane ticket from Nain to St. John’s is $2,497.
“It lends credibility to what Labradorians have been saying. We are being treated unfairly. All of Labrador,” Evans told CBC Monday.
“We contribute a great amount to the revenue to the province. But when it comes to services and infrastructure, we’re so far behind.”
A fare analysis report released by the Goose Bay Airport Commission showed average airfare prices in Happy Valley-Goose Bay have risen by 33.1 per cent since 2019. Elsewhere in Wabush, prices have risen by 47 per cent over the same time.
Evans said she also felt vindicated while seeing the report, saying she’s been talking about the issue for years. She said northern Labrador is even further behind, and that the barriers people face are starting to break people.
“It’s really impacting … our ability to live and survive,” she said.
Evans said that cost is especially felt by those traveling for medical reasons. The province does give residents travelling out of Labrador $1,000 upfront through its medical travel assistance program to cover costs, but that still leaves a large amount to pay out of pocket — which can also increase dramatically if multiple visits are required.
It’s also impacting Labrador athletes seeking to compete in other provinces, she said, especially ahead of the Canada Games taking place in St. John’s next summer.
Average airfare out of Labrador has risen by 33 per cent since 2019. Lela Evans, the MHA for Torngat Mountains, says residents of Labrador face barriers other parts of the province don’t when it comes to travel, and that Labradorians are being treated unfairly when it comes to equity in services and infrastructure.
“The cost of travel is outrageous, you know? It’s really creating a lot of barriers,” Evans said.
“A lot of these increases happened since 2019. And we look at the lack of services, it’s basically erosion of the supports at the provincial government level, and also to some part on the federal level as well.”
Last week, non-profit advocacy group Air Passenger Rights told CBC travellers in Labrador are being left without affordable travel options.
President Gábor Lukács called on the federal government to better incentivize other airlines to compete in the region and create subsidy programs for equitable access to air travel in remote northern regions.
Evans said it comes down to a need for more rural economic development to make sure Labrador is on equal footing with other regions, as well as needing to explore what’s fuelling the price increases and ensuring access to services and infrastructure.
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