Petrolia, CA 🇨🇦 Closed Airport
CA-0286
-
659 ft
CA-ON
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Loading...GPS Code: Not available
Local Code: Not available
Location: 42.89009° N, -82.12098° E
Continent: NA
Type: Closed Airport
Keywords: PD5
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Approximately mid-2000s (circa 2006-2007). The airport was listed as operational in Canadian flight supplements into the early 2000s but was officially noted as 'Decommissioned' in Nav Canada publications around 2007. Analysis of historical satellite imagery confirms the runway was still visible in 2005 but had been plowed over and returned to agricultural use by 2008.
The closure was due to reasons related to its status as a private aerodrome. The land was repurposed for agricultural use, which is a common reason for the closure of small, privately-owned airfields. This typically occurs when the owner ceases aviation activities, sells the property, or finds the land more economically valuable for other purposes like farming. There is no evidence to suggest the closure was caused by a specific accident, military conversion, or regulatory action.
The site is currently used for agriculture. The former turf runway has been completely removed, and the land is now a cultivated farm field, indistinguishable from the surrounding farmland. The geographic footprint of the runway is no longer visible from the ground or recent satellite imagery. A building consistent in location and size with the former hangar appears to still be on the property, likely repurposed as a barn or farm equipment storage shed.
Petrolia Airport was a private, unregistered general aviation aerodrome that served the local community of Petrolia, Ontario. Its primary function was to support recreational and private flying for local pilots and aircraft owners. The facility consisted of a single turf runway, approximately 2,600 feet long and oriented 09/27, along with at least one hangar for aircraft storage. While not significant on a national scale, it was an important asset for the local aviation community for several decades, providing a base for personal and potentially light business-related air travel in a region known for its rich oil history.
There are no known plans or prospects for reopening the Petrolia Airport. The land has been fully and permanently converted to productive agricultural use for well over a decade. Re-establishing an airport at this location would be logistically complex and financially prohibitive, requiring the acquisition of the farmland and significant redevelopment to meet modern aviation standards. The broader region's general aviation and commercial needs are served by the nearby Sarnia Chris Hadfield Airport (CYZR).