Gogama Airport

The airport was primarily operated by the Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources (MNR), now the MNRF. It was closed as part of a province-wide program to rationalize and decommission numerous remote airfields. The closure was driven by economic factors, including high maintenance costs for a low-traffic strip, budget constraints, and a strategic shift in the MNR's approach to forest fire management, which began to favor larger, more centralized regional airports.

The airport is abandoned and completely unmaintained. Satellite imagery of the coordinates (47.684536, -81.719822) clearly shows the outline of the former runway, which is now heavily overgrown with grass, weeds, and small trees. The site is no longer certified or safe for any aviation use. It appears to be used informally by locals for recreational purposes, with ATV trails crossing the former airstrip.

Gogama Airport served as a vital piece of infrastructure for the remote Northern Ontario region. Its primary function was as a forward operating base for the Ministry of Natural Resources, supporting forest fire suppression efforts. It was used by fire detection aircraft, such as the de Havilland Canada DHC-2 Beaver, and as a staging point for fire crews and equipment. Additionally, the airport provided essential air access for the community of Gogama, facilitating general aviation, medevac flights, and supporting local tourism industries like hunting and fishing lodges. The airfield consisted of a single gravel runway, approximately 3000 feet (914 meters) in length.

There are no known official plans or prospects for reopening Gogama Airport. The community's small population, coupled with road access via Highway 144 and the availability of the much larger, full-service Timmins Victor M. Power Airport (CYTS) about 1.5-2 hours away by road, makes the economic case for reopening and maintaining the airfield extremely weak. Reactivation would likely only be considered if a major new industrial project, such as a large-scale mine, were to be established in the immediate vicinity, requiring dedicated air support.