Holberg Water Aerodrome

The primary reason for the aerodrome's closure was military conversion and subsequent economic decline. The water aerodrome's main purpose was to serve the personnel and operations of CFS Holberg, a Pinetree Line long-range radar station. When the station was automated in 1991 and fully closed as a manned facility shortly thereafter, the primary demand for the aerodrome vanished. This, combined with a general downturn in the region's logging industry, led to a significant population decrease in the town of Holberg, making a registered aerodrome economically unviable.

The registered aerodrome (CA-0883) is permanently closed. There are no longer any dedicated facilities, docks, fuel, or services associated with an official aerodrome. However, the physical site is Holberg Inlet, a natural body of water. As such, the inlet itself remains accessible to floatplanes. Seaplane charter companies (e.g., from Port Hardy) still fly into Holberg on an unscheduled, on-demand basis to serve the small remaining population, tourists heading to Cape Scott Provincial Park, and any industrial activity. In essence, the official 'airport' is gone, but the 'runway' (the water) is still used ad-hoc.

Holberg Water Aerodrome was a vital transportation link for the extremely remote community of Holberg and, most importantly, for CFS Holberg. When active, it handled floatplane operations that were critical for:
- **Military Logistics:** Transporting personnel, mail, and light supplies to and from the military base, connecting it to larger centers like Port Hardy and Campbell River.
- **Civilian Transport:** Providing essential passenger and freight services for the families living in the townsite and workers in the local logging and fishing industries.
- **Emergency Services:** Acting as a crucial point for medical evacuations and other emergency transport before road access was improved.
It was never a major commercial hub but served as a lifeline, connecting an isolated strategic military installation and its support community to the rest of Vancouver Island.

There are no known plans or prospects for reopening Holberg Water Aerodrome as an officially registered and serviced facility. The population of Holberg is a small fraction of what it was during the Cold War, and the primary driver for its existence (the military base) is gone. The current demand for air travel is low and adequately met by unscheduled charter flights that can land on the inlet without the need for a formal aerodrome. Re-establishing the facility would not be economically justifiable.