Alice Arm/Silver City Seaplane Base

Economic reasons. The seaplane base's existence was entirely dependent on the local mining industry. The initial boom was fueled by silver mining (hence the 'Silver City' name), and a brief revival occurred with the Kitsault molybdenum mine (1981-1982). When these mines closed, the towns of Alice Arm and Kitsault became ghost towns, eliminating the passenger and freight traffic required to sustain air operations.

The site is no longer an official, registered, or maintained aerodrome. The ICAO identifier CA-1118 is defunct. The physical location is simply the water surface of the Alice Arm inlet, adjacent to the semi-ghost town of Alice Arm. There is no remaining dedicated infrastructure like a terminal, official docks, or fueling services. The area is accessible by boat, and while private floatplanes can still land on the water, it is done on an unscheduled, ad-hoc basis without any ground support.

The Alice Arm/Silver City Seaplane Base was a critical lifeline for the remote communities in the Alice Arm inlet during the 20th century. In an era before reliable road access, floatplanes were the primary means of transportation. The base handled operations for bush pilots and regional airlines, transporting miners, equipment, mail, medical supplies, and other essential goods. It connected the isolated mining camps to larger coastal hubs like Prince Rupert. The base was instrumental in the establishment, support, and economic viability of the Dolly Varden silver mine and other mineral exploration activities in the region.

There are no known plans or prospects for reopening the seaplane base. The region remains almost entirely unpopulated. Any potential future transportation development is linked to the long-stalled Kitsault LNG project proposed for the area. If that project were to proceed, it is more likely that new, modern air facilities (such as a heliport or a new aerodrome) would be constructed to meet industrial needs, rather than reviving this historic and defunct seaplane base.