Kingston Airfield

The primary reason for closure was obsolescence and replacement. The original airfield had relatively short, unpaved or partially paved runways that were inadequate for the larger, heavier, and faster aircraft of the 1960s and 70s. Furthermore, its location was becoming encroached by the eastward expansion of the city of Kingston. A new, modern facility was required to handle growing air traffic and larger planes, leading to the construction of the current airport and the decommissioning of this original site.

The site has been completely redeveloped and is now the St. Lawrence Business Park, a major commercial and industrial hub for Kingston. The area is occupied by numerous businesses, light manufacturing facilities, and offices. The original X-shaped runway pattern is no longer intact, but the layout of some modern roads, such as Innovation Drive and Resource Road, partially follows the alignment of the former runways. The faint outline of the old airfield is still discernible in aerial and satellite imagery.

The airfield has major historical significance for Canada.

1. **Kingston's First Airport:** Opened in the 1930s, it was the city's first official aerodrome, serving general aviation and early commercial flights.

2. **WWII and BCATP:** Its most critical role was during World War II. In 1940, it was taken over by the Department of National Defence and became a key training base for the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan (BCATP). It was designated RCAF Station Kingston and hosted No. 31 Service Flying Training School (SFTS) operated by the Royal Air Force (RAF). Thousands of Allied pilots, navigators, and air gunners were trained here, primarily on Avro Anson and North American Harvard aircraft. It was officially named 'Norman Rogers Airport' in 1940 to honour the Minister of National Defence who died in a plane crash that year.

3. **Post-War Municipal Airport:** After the war, it was returned to the city and served as Kingston's municipal airport, handling general aviation and scheduled passenger services for several decades until its replacement.

There are zero plans or prospects for reopening the airfield. The land has been fully and permanently repurposed for commercial and industrial use, with extensive infrastructure including buildings, roads, and utilities built directly over the former runways and grounds. The city of Kingston is well-served by the modern Norman Rogers Airport (CYGK).