Steen Tower, CA 🇨🇦 Closed Airport
CA-1035
-
2320 ft
CA-AB
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Loading...GPS Code: Not available
Local Code: Not available
Location: 59.633301° N, -117.782997° E
Continent: NA
Type: Closed Airport
Keywords: FV5 CFG7
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| Designation | Length | Width | Surface | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
06/24 |
2000 ft | 100 ft | TURF | Active |
| Type | Description | Frequency |
|---|
The airport was officially noted as closed in aviation publications by 2006. The exact date of its final operation is unknown, but it was likely decommissioned in the early 2000s as it was still listed as active in the 1997 Canada Flight Supplement.
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.