Grande Cache Airport

The closure was due to economic reasons. The Town of Grande Cache was facing a severe financial crisis following the 2015 suspension of operations at the Grande Cache Coal mine, the area's largest employer. The annual cost to operate and maintain the airport was between $150,000 and $200,000, a sum the struggling municipality could no longer afford. The town council voted to close the airport as a cost-saving measure to address a multi-million dollar deficit.

The airport is permanently closed and officially decommissioned. The physical asphalt runway, taxiway, and apron still exist, but they are marked with large white 'X's, which is the standard visual signal to pilots that a runway is unusable. The land is now under the control of the Municipal District of Greenview No. 16, which absorbed the Town of Grande Cache in 2019. The site is not in use for any aviation or other official public purpose.

The Grande Cache Airport (official ICAO identifier: CEQ5) was a crucial piece of infrastructure for the remote mountain community. It served as a vital link for several key operations:
- **MEDEVAC:** It was essential for air ambulance services, providing rapid medical transport for critical patients to larger hospitals in Edmonton or Grande Prairie.
- **Resource Sector Support:** The airport handled corporate and charter flights, transporting workers and equipment for the local coal mine and other resource-based industries.
- **Wildfire Suppression:** It was used as a strategic base by Alberta Wildfire for water bombers and other aircraft during forest fire season.
- **General and Business Aviation:** It supported private aircraft and business-related travel, connecting the isolated town to the rest of the province.
While it did not have regularly scheduled commercial passenger service, its role in emergency services and economic support was significant.

There are currently no official or active plans to reopen the airport. The prospect of reopening is considered speculative and is directly tied to the long-term economic health of the Grande Cache area. A full and sustained restart of the local coal mine would be the most likely catalyst to create a business case for reopening the airport. However, the significant cost of recertifying, upgrading, and operating the facility to meet modern Transport Canada standards presents a major financial barrier. As of now, it remains a low priority for the municipality.