Beaverdell Airport

The primary reason for closure appears to be abandonment and a lack of maintenance rather than a specific incident or official decision. Small, private airstrips like this are often built for a specific purpose (e.g., supporting a logging operation, mining claim, or private ranch). The closure was likely due to the cessation of the activity it was built to support, a change in land ownership, or the owner no longer having the need or financial means to maintain it. There is no evidence of closure due to an accident or for military purposes.

The site of the former airport is completely abandoned and has reverted to nature. The faint outline of the north-south dirt runway is still visible on satellite imagery, but the surface is entirely overgrown with grass, shrubs, and young trees. A dirt track now cuts across the northern end of the former runway. There are no remaining hangars, buildings, or any aviation-related infrastructure on the site. The land is an empty field, indistinguishable from the surrounding wilderness except for the faint scar of the old runway.

Beaverdell Airport was a small, unpaved bush strip that served the remote community of Beaverdell. Its historical operations were tied to the region's primary industries: mining and forestry. The airstrip would have been used by STOL (Short Takeoff and Landing) aircraft, such as the de Havilland Beaver or Cessna 180/185, which are common in British Columbia for accessing remote areas. Its functions likely included:
- Transporting prospectors, geologists, and mining personnel.
- Flying in equipment, parts, and supplies for local operations.
- Supporting logging activities in the surrounding forests.
- Potentially serving as a forward base for BC Wildfire Service aircraft for reconnaissance or crew deployment during fire season.
- Use by private recreational pilots and property owners in the area.

There are no known plans, proposals, or prospects for reopening the Beaverdell Airport. The cost to clear the extensive overgrowth, regrade the runway, and restore it to a safe, usable condition would be substantial. Given the proximity of larger, well-maintained airports in Penticton (CYYF) and Kelowna (CYLW) that serve the broader region, there is no apparent economic or logistical driver to justify the investment in reopening this small, remote strip.