Valemount, CA 🇨🇦 Closed Airport
CA-0395
-
2575 ft
CA-BC
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Loading...GPS Code: Not available
Local Code: Not available
Location: 52.865732° N, -119.295711° E
Continent: NA
Type: Closed Airport
Keywords: AH4
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The aerodrome was not formally 'closed' on a specific date but was replaced. This likely occurred in the mid-to-late 20th century, certainly before 1990. The identifier CA-0395 is an unofficial code, likely from a non-governmental or flight simulator database, used to mark this historical location. The site was superseded by the current, active Valemount Airport (CYSE).
The aerodrome was closed due to replacement and modernization. The community's aviation needs outgrew the original rudimentary airstrip, leading to the construction of the adjacent Valemount Airport (CYSE). The new airport features a longer, wider, and better-maintained runway capable of handling larger aircraft and supporting more reliable operations. The old strip was therefore made redundant.
The site of the former aerodrome is now an overgrown grass and dirt field. It is located immediately northeast of, and parallel to, the active runway 14/32 of the current Valemount Airport (CYSE). The faint outline of the old, narrow runway is still visible on satellite imagery, but it is completely unused and is being slowly reclaimed by nature. The land is part of the property of the operational Valemount Airport.
This original airstrip was a vital piece of infrastructure for the remote community of Valemount before the establishment of the modern airport. Its primary role was to support general aviation and local industries. Operations would have included:
- **General Aviation:** Use by private pilots for transportation and recreation.
- **Resource Industry Support:** Crucial for the forestry and mining sectors, used for transporting personnel, equipment, and for aerial surveys.
- **Emergency Services:** Served as a basic landing area for early air ambulance and search and rescue operations.
- **Connectivity:** Provided an essential link to other parts of British Columbia for a community that was relatively isolated.
The strip would have primarily handled small, rugged aircraft suited for unpaved surfaces, such as Piper Super Cubs, Cessna 185s, and de Havilland Canada DHC-2 Beavers.
There are zero plans or prospects for reopening this specific historical airstrip. All aviation development, funding, and maintenance efforts in the region are focused on the active and superior Valemount Airport (CYSE). Reopening the old, shorter, and unpaved strip would be redundant, impractical, and serve no purpose.