Burtch Airport

The closure was a gradual process resulting from a fundamental change in land use. After its primary military function ended post-WWII, the site was converted by the provincial government into the Burtch Correctional Centre. The aerodrome became secondary and eventually obsolete. The final closure was driven by the decommissioning of the correctional facility and the subsequent transfer and redevelopment of the land.

The site is no longer an airport. In 2017, after years of negotiation, the land was transferred from the provincial government back to the Six Nations of the Grand River. It is now managed by the Six Nations of the Grand River Development Corporation (SNGRDC) and is being redeveloped into a multi-use agricultural and industrial park. A significant portion of the former airport grounds is now occupied by the Burtch Solar Farm, a large-scale renewable energy project. The faint outlines of the old runways are still visible on satellite imagery but are being progressively repurposed or removed for the new developments.

The airport's primary historical significance is its role during World War II as RCAF Station Burtch, home to the No. 5 Service Flying Training School (SFTS). Operating from 1941 to 1945 as part of the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan (BCATP), it was a major training base for thousands of Allied pilots, primarily using Avro Anson aircraft. It featured a standard triangular runway layout. After the war, the site was transferred to the province and became the Burtch Correctional Centre, with the runways seeing limited use as a private/government aerodrome before falling into disrepair.

There are no plans or prospects for reopening Burtch Airport. The land has been permanently repurposed for industrial, agricultural, and renewable energy development by its current owners, the Six Nations of the Grand River. The original runway infrastructure is being systematically removed or built over as part of this redevelopment, making any future aviation use unfeasible.