Aylmer Airport

The primary closure was the decommissioning of the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) station in 1961 due to post-war military consolidation and budget reductions. The subsequent civilian airport likely closed due to economic reasons, including low traffic volumes, high maintenance costs for the aging infrastructure, and the redevelopment of the surrounding land for other purposes, which made continued aviation operations unsustainable.

The site of the former airport is now used for multiple purposes and the airfield is non-operational. The original runway and taxiway layout is still clearly visible from satellite imagery, but the surfaces are deteriorated and unusable for aviation.

- **Ontario Police College:** A significant portion of the former base, including many of its original buildings, is now the main campus for the Ontario Police College (OPC), a training facility for new police recruits in the province.
- **Aylmer Air-Park:** An industrial park, known as the 'Aylmer Air-Park', has been developed on the property.
- **Agriculture and Driver Training:** Large sections of the former runways and surrounding land are used for agriculture. Some paved areas are also used for driver training by the police college.
- **Memorial:** A memorial dedicated to the personnel who served at RCAF Station Aylmer and the BCATP is located on the site, preserving its historical legacy.

Aylmer Airport has significant military history as the former RCAF Station Aylmer. It was a key facility in the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan (BCATP) during World War II.

- **BCATP Operations (1941-1945):** The station opened on July 3, 1941, and was home to the No. 14 Service Flying Training School (SFTS). Here, thousands of pilots from Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, and other Allied nations received advanced flight training. Pilots trained primarily on North American Harvard and Avro Anson aircraft, preparing them for combat operations overseas. The base was a self-contained community with barracks, hangars, mess halls, and recreational facilities.

- **Post-War Military Operations (1945-1961):** After the war, the station transitioned to a ground crew training facility. It was renamed the No. 1 Technical Training School (TTS), responsible for training RCAF ground personnel in various technical trades. In 1953, it became the No. 2 Ground Instructional School before its eventual closure in 1961.

- **Civilian Operations (c. 1961 - late 1990s):** Following the military's departure, the airfield portion was sold and operated as a private civilian airport. It served the general aviation community, including private pilots and the local Aylmer Flying Club, for several decades before its final closure.

There are no known plans or prospects for reopening Aylmer Airport. The land has been permanently and successfully repurposed for institutional (Ontario Police College), industrial, and agricultural use. The significant development on the site and the deteriorated state of the aviation infrastructure make a return to airport operations highly improbable.