Sanikiluaq Water Aerodrome

The primary reason for closure was redundancy and obsolescence. The establishment of the land-based Sanikiluaq Airport (CYSK) provided the community with a far superior, reliable, year-round transportation link capable of handling larger and more modern aircraft. This eliminated the need for a seasonal (summer only), limited-capacity water aerodrome that could only be used by floatplanes.

The site has reverted entirely to its natural state. The coordinates place it in the main bay adjacent to the hamlet of Sanikiluaq. There is no longer any visible infrastructure, such as dedicated docks, ramps, or buildings, associated with aviation. The area is now simply part of the coastal waters used by local residents for boating, fishing, and other marine activities.

Before the construction of the permanent land runway, the Sanikiluaq Water Aerodrome was a vital, albeit seasonal, link to the outside world for the remote Inuit community on the Belcher Islands. During the ice-free summer months, it handled floatplane operations which were critical for delivering mail, medical supplies, food, and other essential goods, as well as providing passenger and medical transport. It represents a common phase in the development of transportation in Canada's North, where water-based 'bush flying' was the primary air connection before permanent airfields were built. Operations would have been conducted by classic Canadian bush planes like the de Havilland Canada DHC-2 Beaver or DHC-3 Otter.

There are no known plans or prospects for reopening the water aerodrome. The community is well-served by the government-maintained Sanikiluaq Airport (CYSK), which accommodates scheduled passenger and cargo flights. Re-establishing a formal water aerodrome would be economically and logistically unjustifiable, as it offers no advantages over the existing, superior, all-weather airport. For all practical purposes, the prospect of reopening is zero.