RCAF Station Caron

The end of World War II and the subsequent winding down of the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan (BCATP). With the war over, the massive infrastructure for training aircrew was no longer needed, and the station was declared surplus by the Canadian government.

The former airbase was sold in 1946 and is now the location of the village of Caronport, Saskatchewan, and the campus of Briercrest College and Seminary. Many of the original WWII-era buildings, including hangars and barracks, have been repurposed and are still in use as classrooms, dormitories, a library, and recreational facilities. A portion of the original airfield is maintained and operated as a private, registered aerodrome, Caronport/Briercrest Airport (Transport Canada LID: CJN3), primarily serving the college's own aviation program and local general aviation. The ICAO identifier CA-0115 is an unofficial or outdated code for this site.

RCAF Station Caron was a critical air training base established during World War II as part of the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan (BCATP). Opened on December 15, 1941, it was initially home to No. 2 Flying Instructor School (FIS), which trained the instructors responsible for teaching pilots across the entire BCATP network. The station also hosted No. 33 Elementary Flying Training School (EFTS) from May 1942 to January 1944. Aircraft operated from the station included twin-engine trainers like the Avro Anson and Cessna Crane for the FIS, and primary trainers like the de Havilland Tiger Moth and Fairchild Cornell for the EFTS. Its role in training both pilots and, crucially, the instructors who taught them, made it a vital component of the Allied war effort.

There are no known plans or prospects to reopen RCAF Station Caron as a military base or a major public airport. The site is fully integrated into the community of Caronport and the Briercrest College campus. The focus is on the continued operation of the small, private Caronport/Briercrest Airport (CJN3) for its current educational and general aviation purposes, not on a large-scale reopening.