Kemano Bay Water Aerodrome

The closure was due to economic and logistical reasons. The water aerodrome became redundant as transportation methods for the remote Kemano site evolved. The operator, Alcan (now Rio Tinto), shifted its reliance to more efficient transport, including:
1. The land-based Kemano Airport (CBW2), a gravel airstrip capable of handling larger STOL aircraft.
2. Increased use of helicopters for rapid personnel and light cargo movement.
3. Established and robust marine transport via barges and vessels for heavy equipment and bulk supplies.
These alternatives made a dedicated, registered water aerodrome obsolete.

The site is no longer a registered or operational aerodrome. The physical location is Kemano Bay, which continues to be an active marine waterway. The bay features a large industrial dock used by Rio Tinto for barges and supply vessels that service the Kemano powerhouse and the small private community. Any specific infrastructure that may have existed for the water aerodrome, such as a dedicated floatplane dock or ramp, has since been removed or absorbed into the larger marine terminal infrastructure. While a floatplane could technically still land on the bay, it is not a recognized or maintained aviation facility.

The Kemano Bay Water Aerodrome was a historically significant and vital transportation hub for the construction and operation of the massive Kitimat-Kemano hydroelectric project, which began in the 1950s. The town of Kemano is completely isolated, with no road access to the rest of British Columbia. In the project's early decades, floatplanes (such as the de Havilland Beaver and Otter) operating from this aerodrome were a primary means of transporting personnel, mail, medical supplies, and high-priority cargo between Kemano and the outside world, primarily Kitimat. It was an essential lifeline that enabled one of Canada's most ambitious private engineering projects to be built and maintained in a remote wilderness.

There are no known plans or prospects for reopening the Kemano Bay Water Aerodrome. The existing transportation infrastructure, consisting of the Kemano Airport (CBW2) and comprehensive marine services, adequately meets the current and foreseeable needs of the Rio Tinto operations. There is no logistical or economic driver to justify the expense and administration of re-establishing a formal water aerodrome at this location.