French River, CA 🇨🇦 Closed Airport
CA-0266
-
686 ft
CA-ON
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Loading...GPS Code: Not available
Local Code: Not available
Location: 46.193956° N, -80.312096° E
Continent: NA
Type: Closed Airport
Keywords: PX4 PX4
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The exact date of closure is not officially recorded, but evidence suggests it occurred between 2009 and 2012. Aviation guides listed it as closed by 2013, and satellite imagery shows a well-maintained runway in 2009 turning progressively overgrown in subsequent years.
There is no official public record stating the reason for closure. As a small, privately owned aerodrome (indicated by its 'CA-' identifier), the closure was most likely due to economic or personal reasons. Common factors for such airfields include the high cost of maintenance, liability insurance, property taxes, or the owner's retirement, death, or decision to sell the property for non-aviation use.
The site is permanently closed to all aviation traffic. Satellite imagery confirms that the former runway is completely overgrown with grass and encroaching trees, making it unusable. The property at 46.193956, -80.312096 appears to be private residential land, with the former runway having reverted to a long, narrow field. The hangar/residence at the south end of the property remains.
North Monetville Skypark was a private general aviation aerodrome serving the recreational community around the French River and Lake Nipissing. Its primary function was to provide access for private pilots, cottagers, and local residents with small aircraft.
Operations consisted of:
- **General Aviation:** It catered to single-engine piston aircraft like Cessnas and Pipers.
- **Recreational Flying:** Its location made it a convenient fly-in destination for tourism, fishing, and accessing cottages in the area.
- **Private Use:** The 'Skypark' name suggests it may have been intended as an airpark, where residents could have homes with adjacent access to the runway.
The airfield featured a single turf/gravel runway, designated 18/36, with a length of approximately 2,600 feet. Its significance was local, contributing to the accessibility and recreational appeal of the Monetville area within the Canadian aviation community.
There are no known plans or prospects for reopening the North Monetville Skypark Airport. Given that it has been closed for over a decade and the land is privately owned, reopening is highly unlikely. The significant cost required to clear the runway, restore facilities, and meet modern regulatory and insurance standards makes such a project economically unfeasible for a small private strip.
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