Pukatawagan Seaplane Base

Replacement by a superior, all-weather land-based airport. The community of Pukatawagan, a remote fly-in community, previously relied on seasonal air access via floatplanes in the summer and ski-planes or a winter road in the winter. The construction of the Pukatawagan Airport (CZFG) with its 3,500-foot gravel runway provided reliable, year-round air service, making the seasonal and more limited seaplane base redundant.

The site is no longer a registered or operational aerodrome. The physical location is simply a section of Pukatawagan Lake. Any docks or shore-based infrastructure specifically built for seaplane operations have likely been removed or have fallen into disuse. The area is now used for general recreational purposes like boating and fishing. While private floatplanes could still technically land on the water, there are no official services, and all commercial and essential air traffic now uses the Pukatawagan Airport (CZFG).

Prior to 2011, the Pukatawagan Seaplane Base was a critical lifeline for the Mathias Colomb First Nation community. It served as the primary air access point during the ice-free months. Operations consisted of chartered and scheduled flights using float-equipped aircraft, such as the De Havilland Canada DHC-2 Beaver and DHC-3 Otter, and various Cessna models. These flights were essential for transporting passengers, mail, groceries, medical supplies, and facilitating medical evacuations. The base connected the isolated community to larger hubs like The Pas and Flin Flon, Manitoba.

There are no known plans or logical prospects for reopening the official seaplane base. The community's transportation needs are fully and more effectively met by the permanent, year-round Pukatawagan Airport. Re-establishing an official seaplane base would be economically unviable and operationally redundant.