Ogilvie Airport

Economic reasons and obsolescence. The airstrip was primarily established to support the construction and subsequent maintenance of the Dempster Highway. As the highway became fully operational and ground transportation improved, the need for a dedicated local airstrip for logistical support diminished significantly. The cost for the Yukon Government to maintain, inspect, and certify the aerodrome for very infrequent use was no longer justifiable, leading to its abandonment and eventual delisting.

The site is an abandoned and unmaintained gravel airstrip. Satellite imagery confirms the runway outline is still clearly visible, but it is not maintained, has encroaching vegetation, and its surface condition is unknown. It is no longer a registered or certified aerodrome in Canada. While it may be technically usable in an emergency by skilled bush pilots with suitable aircraft (at their own risk), it has no services, fuel, or facilities. The nearby Ogilvie River highway maintenance camp is still active, but the airstrip is not part of its current operational infrastructure.

Ogilvie Airport was a crucial logistical support aerodrome during the construction (1959-1979) and early operational phases of the Dempster Highway. Located at a strategic point near the Ogilvie River crossing (Kilometre 197), it served the highway construction and maintenance camps. The airstrip was vital for transporting personnel, surveyors, emergency supplies, and light equipment to this remote region before the road provided reliable year-round access. It primarily handled STOL (Short Take-Off and Landing) bush planes, such as the de Havilland Beaver and Otter, which were the workhorses of northern Canadian infrastructure projects.

There are no known plans or prospects for reopening or re-certifying Ogilvie Airport. Its function has been entirely superseded by the Dempster Highway, which it was built to support. Reinstating it as an official aerodrome would require a significant new economic driver, such as a major mining or resource extraction project in the immediate vicinity that could not be serviced by the highway. No such projects are currently planned, making its reopening highly unlikely.