The Globe and Mail reports in its Thursday edition that Transport Minister Steven MacKinnon said Ottawa's efforts to potentially monetize airports are in the early stages, in response to questions about vague references in this week's fiscal update that linked such options to a proposed new sovereign wealth fund. A triple-bylined item led by Bill Curry quotes the government saying it is looking at "alternative models of ownership" for airports, adding it would introduce legislation "to ensure it can obtain the information necessary for a comprehensive evaluation of airport reforms." In the fall budget, the government had said it would "consider options for the privatization of airports." One of the major items in the spring fiscal update, which Prime Minister Mark Carney preannounced on Monday, was a plan to create the country's first sovereign wealth fund, to be named the Canada Strong Fund. The fiscal update included $25-billion to launch the fund. A graphic in Tuesday's update said the new fund would also raise capital by "generating the full value from federal assets." The reference to alternative models of airport ownership was directly under that graphic. Mr. MacKinnon said he is in talks with airport authorities.