Terra Mining Airport

Economic reasons. The airport was built exclusively to serve the Terra Mine. When the mine ceased all operations and was permanently closed in 1985 due to the exhaustion of its silver ore reserves, the airport became obsolete and was subsequently abandoned.

The airport is abandoned and non-operational. The site is part of the former Terra Mine property, which has undergone extensive environmental remediation and reclamation managed by the Government of Canada's Crown-Indigenous Relations and Northern Affairs Contaminated Sites Program. The program addressed significant arsenic and hydrocarbon contamination left from the mining activities. While the physical gravel runway may still be visible, it is unmaintained, unusable, and the entire area is a remediated site subject to long-term monitoring and access restrictions.

Terra Mining Airport was a private aerodrome that served as the critical lifeline for the Terra Mine, a significant silver and bismuth producer located on the Camsell River near Great Bear Lake. Operating from 1969 to 1985, the airport was essential for transporting personnel, equipment, fuel, food, and other vital supplies to the extremely remote mine site. It also facilitated the shipment of ore concentrates from the mine. The airport featured a single 3,000-foot gravel runway (08/26) and primarily handled STOL (Short Take-Off and Landing) aircraft, such as the DHC-6 Twin Otter and DHC-2 Beaver, which are well-suited for rugged, remote northern operations.

There are no plans or prospects for reopening the Terra Mining Airport. Its sole purpose was tied to the now-defunct mine. With no permanent population, industry, or economic driver in the immediate vicinity, and the area's status as a remediated contaminated site, there is no practical or economic justification for its reactivation.