Steen Tower Airport

The closure was due to economic and operational changes within the Alberta Forest Service (AFS), the primary operator. The need for numerous small, remote airstrips diminished with the decommissioning of associated fire lookout towers and a strategic shift towards using larger, centralized airports (like High Level Airport) for staging long-range air tankers and helicopters. This consolidation made maintaining isolated airstrips like Steen Tower redundant and financially unviable.

The site is abandoned and unmaintained. Satellite imagery confirms the gravel runway remains visible but is in a state of disrepair, with significant vegetation growth making it unusable for aviation. The surrounding area is undeveloped boreal forest, and the airstrip is not being used for any other purpose. It is slowly being reclaimed by nature.

Steen Tower Airport was a government airstrip operated by the Alberta Forest Service (now part of Alberta Wildfire). Its primary function was to support the nearby Steen River fire lookout tower. The airport was a critical piece of infrastructure for wildfire management in this extremely remote region of northern Alberta. Operations included transporting fire observers and crews, delivering supplies to the tower, and serving as a forward operating base for small aircraft involved in fire detection and suppression, such as spotter planes and light water bombers.

There are no known plans or prospects for reopening Steen Tower Airport. Its original purpose is now obsolete due to modern wildfire management techniques. Given its remote location and the absence of any local population, industry, or new strategic need, the likelihood of it ever being restored for aviation purposes is virtually zero.