The Ottawa International Airport Authority is pleased to announce that it has reached an important milestone with Project Clear Skies, its community giving program. After the most recent funding wave in May, 2012, the program surpassed $1,000,000 in investments in charitable projects in the community. With the support of the Board of Directors, funds are set aside each year to support the program. Fundraising events such as the annual Plane Pull Challenge also provide the program with financial support.

Project Clear Skies was launched in October of 2004 as a means of marking the first anniversary of the opening of the new terminal. Applications for funding for capital projects are accepted from registered charities that operate within the geographic boundaries of the National Capital Region.  An evaluation committee meets to review more than 100 submissions each year. Together, they select how the approximately $100,000 that is committed annually will be divided and distributed. Charities with dedicated fundraising staff are not eligible, nor are requests for funding to cover administration or overhead.

“Project Clear Skies has provided the Authority with an opportunity to learn more about some important organizations that are making a difference in the lives of Ottawa and Gatineau residents” said Gilles Lalonde, Chairman of the Airport Authority’s Board of Directors. “Funds are delivered personally by members of our team, resulting in a connection with each charity that has left an indelible impression on the Authority as a whole.”

“For more than a decade and a half, this community has supported and trusted the Airport Authority” said Paul Benoit, Airport Authority President and CEO. He continued “Project Clear Skies has given us a chance to return that favour and to have a positive impact on some amazing organizations that are doing phenomenal work in the region. They may not have big names or profiles, but we know that our contribution is making a difference – from the ground up.”

Projects funded include hospice beds, industrial appliances, renovations, roof repairs, infrastructure improvements, therapy equipment, and a myriad of other interesting projects. For more information about the program, funding criteria, the application process and to see a list of recipients and their projects, please visit www.ottawa-airport.ca/clearskies.

OMCIAA operates Ottawa International Airport without government subsidies under a 60-year lease transfer agreement with Transport Canada. The OMCIAA’s mandate is to manage, operate and develop airport facilities and lands in support of the economic growth of the National Capital Region.