Stave Lake Airport

The closure was a result of several factors common to remote airfields. The primary reasons include:
1. **Lack of Maintenance:** As a remote gravel strip, it fell into disrepair without a dedicated entity to fund and perform upkeep.
2. **Safety and Liability:** The runway surface became rough and overgrown, posing a significant safety risk. To mitigate liability, the landowner (likely the Crown/Province of British Columbia) intentionally decommissioned the strip by digging ditches and placing large rocks and berms across the runway to prevent landings.

The site of the former airport is now fully integrated into the Stave West Forest and Recreation Area. While the faint outline of the runway is still visible via satellite, it is heavily overgrown with grass and shrubs. The area is now used as a recreational trail, an informal camping spot, and a popular staging area for off-road vehicle users. The man-made obstacles (ditches and rocks) remain, making any sort of aircraft landing impossible and unsafe.

Stave Lake Airport was a classic British Columbia bush strip featuring a single gravel runway approximately 2,200 feet in length. Its primary role was to serve the general aviation community, providing access to the remote Stave Lake area for recreational purposes such as fishing, camping, and hiking. It may have also supported local forestry operations, including fire patrols or personnel transport. The airport was a valuable asset for pilots seeking wilderness access directly from the Lower Mainland.

There are no known plans or prospects for reopening Stave Lake Airport. The land has been officially repurposed for public recreational use. The significant costs, environmental assessments, regulatory requirements, and liability issues associated with re-establishing an airfield, combined with its current popular use as a recreation site, make its revival extremely unlikely.