Pryde Field Airport

Private Decision / Decommissioning. Pryde Field was a privately owned and operated airfield. Its closure was not the result of a major accident, economic collapse, or military conversion. Instead, it was decommissioned by its owner, a common occurrence for small, private airfields when the owner retires, sells the land, or decides to no longer maintain the facility for aviation use.

The site is now private land used for agriculture. Current satellite imagery shows that the land where the runways were located is being actively farmed. The faint, cross-shaped outline of the former turf runways is still visible from the air, a common 'ghost' feature of decommissioned grass airfields. The buildings on the property appear to be a mix of residential and farm storage structures. All aviation-specific infrastructure, such as windsocks or markings, has been removed, and the site is not accessible to the public.

Pryde Field Airport served as a local hub for general aviation in the Port Elgin and Saugeen Shores area for many years. Owned and operated by Donald Pryde, it provided a base for recreational pilots and owners of private aircraft. The airfield featured two turf runways: Runway 18/36, which was 2,600 feet long, and Runway 09/27, which was 2,000 feet long. Its inclusion in the Canada Flight Supplement signified that it met the standards for a registered private aerodrome, making it a known destination for pilots flying in the region, subject to prior permission from the owner. It played a role in the local aviation community before the nearby Saugeen Municipal Airport (CYHS) became the primary, fully-serviced airport for the region.

None. There are no known plans, discussions, or prospects for reopening Pryde Field Airport. The aviation needs of Port Elgin and the surrounding Saugeen Shores municipality are comprehensively served by the nearby Saugeen Municipal Airport (CYHS), which is a larger, publicly accessible facility with paved runways and more extensive services. The Pryde Field land has fully reverted to private agricultural use, making any return to aviation activities extremely unlikely.