Gander International Airport Authority revamping its international lounge

When Scott Simms thinks about the international lounge at the Gander International Airport his mind drifts to one time in particular. 
The Coast of Bays-Central-Notre Dame MP says everyone who grew up in central Newfoundland has a story about that lounge and he is no different. 
His particular memory is riding the escalator up and down as a youngster when his Cub Scout pack was on a tour. The escalator was an experience new to them, and so were other things they saw there. 
On the wall of the lounge is a famous painting. It hangs above a glass corridor referred to as the bird cage. The tour guide showing Simms’ and his friends around warned them a boy in the painting had a pair of binoculars and followed them everywhere they went in the lounge. 
“I’m sure everyone has a story like that about the Gander Airport,” he said. 
Simms was at the lounge on Wednesday, along with dozens of others including municipal and provincial leaders, to announce funding to aid in the restoration of the iconic international lounge. 
In total, the Gander International Airport Authority will be receiving $1.5 million. It will be provided in equal parts from the provincial government, the federal government through the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency, and the airport authority itself. 
The money will be used to renovate the space to better utilize the roughly 9,000 square foot lounge. The plan is to install an historic theatre, a gallery and include room for interpretative storytelling elements. 
Part of the money will also be used to help restore some of the lounge’s furniture, decor and other artifacts. 
“The whole intent of this project is that the broad aesthetic and the built heritage of the lounge will remain largely as it is,” said airport president and CEO Reg Wright. “At the same time, we need to adopt some storytelling elements, ways to tell precisely the story of this place.” 
The tunnel people call the bird cage is slated to be removed under this restoration and the duty-free room will become office space. 
The purpose behind this is to open the space to the people who want to see it. 
“The idea is to give it back to the community...and the knowledge that you can come up and enjoy however you want to do that,” said Wright.