Mountain River Airport

Economic reasons. The airstrip was a private facility whose existence was tied directly to the Mountain River Lodge, a remote fly-in destination for hunting and fishing. The airport was decommissioned following the closure of the lodge it served, as it no longer had a purpose.

The site is abandoned and has been decommissioned for nearly two decades. Current satellite imagery shows the runway is significantly overgrown with shrubs and vegetation, making it unusable for aviation. The former lodge buildings, located near the northern end of the strip, appear to be in a state of decay. The area is reverting to its natural wilderness state and is not used for any formal purpose.

The airport's official Transport Canada Location Identifier was CMR2, not the non-standard ICAO code CA-0250. Its sole purpose and significance was to provide air access to the extremely remote Mountain River Lodge. When active, it handled charter flights carrying guests, staff, and supplies. Operations were seasonal, aligning with the lodge's operating months. The 3,000-foot gravel runway was used by specialized bush planes capable of short takeoffs and landings (STOL), such as the de Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin Otter, DHC-3 Otter, DHC-2 Beaver, and various Cessna aircraft, typically flying from Norman Wells, NWT (CYVQ).

There are no known plans or prospects for reopening the airport. Re-establishing the airstrip would require a massive investment to clear vegetation, regrade the runway surface, and rebuild infrastructure. Such an investment would only be feasible if a new commercial enterprise (like a new lodge or a significant resource exploration project) were established at the site, which is considered highly unlikely in the foreseeable future.