Border Lake Airfield

The airfield was a military facility operated by the Canadian Department of National Defence (DND) within CFB Wainwright. It was not a public airport. The closure was an internal military decision, likely because the airstrip was no longer required for specific training doctrines or its maintenance was no longer a priority. It was decommissioned as part of routine changes in military training infrastructure, not due to economic pressures or a specific accident.

The site is located deep within the restricted and active CFB Wainwright military training area, making it completely inaccessible to the public. Satellite imagery shows the faint outline of the former runway, which is now heavily overgrown and being reclaimed by the surrounding prairie landscape. The land remains part of the military range and is used for ground force manoeuvres and as a general training space.

Border Lake Airfield's significance is purely military. It was never a civilian or commercial airport. It served as a remote, unimproved/gravel tactical airstrip within the vast training area of Canadian Forces Base (CFB) Wainwright. Its primary function was to support large-scale military exercises, facilitating short take-off and landing (STOL) operations for aircraft like the CC-130 Hercules. These operations simulated assault landings, troop insertions/extractions, and resupply missions in a contested environment. The airfield was a key piece of infrastructure for realistic ground and air force integration training for the Canadian Armed Forces and allied nations.

There are zero plans or prospects for reopening Border Lake Airfield. Its location within a highly active military live-fire training range makes any potential for civilian use impossible. The Department of National Defence would only consider reactivating the site if a new, specific military training requirement emerged that could not be met by other existing facilities, which is considered highly unlikely.