Highwood Livestock Auction Airport

The closure was primarily due to economic and logistical reasons. The airstrip was a private facility for the Highwood Livestock Auction. As road transportation improved and the business model of the auction evolved, the need for a dedicated private airstrip for fly-in clients diminished. The cost of maintaining and insuring the runway likely outweighed its benefits, leading to its decommissioning by the property owners.

The site of the former airport is now an agricultural field. The turf runway has been fully reclaimed by the land and is used for pasture or hay production as part of the larger property belonging to the livestock market, which is now known as the Southern Alberta Livestock Exchange (VJV). From the air, a faint outline of the former runway is still discernible, but on the ground, there are no remaining signs of aviation infrastructure.

The Highwood Livestock Auction Airport was a unique example of a private, industry-specific aerodrome. Its primary function was to provide convenient access for ranchers, cattle buyers, and business partners traveling from across the vast rural areas of Western Canada and the northern United States. It allowed individuals to fly their private aircraft directly to the auction site, conduct business, and return home, often on the same day. The airport primarily handled general aviation traffic, consisting of single-engine and light twin-engine propeller aircraft. Its existence highlights a period when private aviation was an integral tool for commerce in the agricultural sector before becoming largely superseded by modern road networks.

There are no known plans or prospects for reopening the Highwood Livestock Auction Airport. The original purpose for the airstrip is now considered obsolete. The general aviation needs of the area are served by the nearby High River Regional Airport (CEN4), making the revival of this specialized, private strip unnecessary. The land is currently utilized for agricultural purposes by its owners.