Tipella Airport

The closure was a gradual decline driven by economic factors. The airstrip was primarily built and maintained to support the extensive forestry and logging operations in the remote upper Harrison Lake region. As these specific operations scaled down, the economic incentive to maintain the private airstrip disappeared. Its disuse was a result of abandonment due to a lack of purpose and funding, rather than a specific incident, accident, or official directive.

The site of the former airstrip is now an unmaintained and overgrown field. While the runway's outline is still visible from satellite imagery, the surface is covered with grass, weeds, and small shrubs, and is likely soft and uneven. It is completely unsuitable and unsafe for aircraft operations. The area is considered abandoned for aviation purposes and may be used informally by locals for vehicle access or as a staging area for other activities.

Tipella Airport, also known as the Douglas Airstrip, was a vital piece of infrastructure for the extremely remote community at the northern tip of Harrison Lake. Its historical importance includes:

- **Forestry Support:** It was a critical asset for logging companies, used to fly in personnel, transport parts and supplies, and provide rapid emergency access to an area otherwise only reachable by a long logging road or by water.
- **Community Access:** It served the local Douglas First Nation (Xa'xtsa Nation), providing a crucial link for medical emergencies and transportation.
- **Recreational and Government Use:** The airstrip was used by backcountry pilots for recreational access to the rugged wilderness, and by government agencies like the BC Wildfire Service for staging during fire seasons.

Operations were strictly VFR (Visual Flight Rules) and limited to rugged, STOL (Short Takeoff and Landing) capable aircraft, such as the de Havilland Beaver and Cessna 180/185, that could handle the short, unpaved gravel and dirt runway. The ICAO identifier 'CA-1008' is an unofficial code, likely assigned by a non-governmental database or flight simulator software, as the strip was never officially registered.

There are no known or published plans to reopen or restore the Tipella Airport. Re-establishing the airstrip would require significant capital investment to clear vegetation, regrade the entire runway surface, and implement a plan for sustained maintenance. Given the decline of the industrial activity that originally justified its existence and the continued availability of floatplane access via Harrison Lake, there is currently no economic or community driver to support its reopening.