Downsview Airport

The closure was driven by economic and real estate development factors. In 2018, the primary owner and operator, Bombardier Aerospace, sold the highly valuable 375-acre property to Northcrest Developments (a subsidiary of the Public Sector Pension Investment Board). The sale allowed Bombardier to monetize the land and finance the construction of a new, state-of-the-art manufacturing facility for its Global business jets at Toronto Pearson International Airport (CYYZ). The closure facilitates the 'id8 Downsview' project, a massive, long-term plan to redevelop the entire site into a mixed-use urban community, making continued airport operations impossible.

The airport is permanently closed. The land is now being prepared for one of Toronto's largest redevelopment projects, known as 'id8 Downsview'. The project, led by Northcrest Developments and the Canada Lands Company, will transform the former airfield and surrounding lands into a series of new neighborhoods over the next 30 years. The plan includes tens of thousands of residential units, extensive parkland, commercial and retail space, and community infrastructure. While the runway and taxiways still physically exist, they are no longer maintained for aviation and will be removed as development progresses. Some non-aviation tenants remain in the existing buildings, including Centennial College's aerospace campus and Downsview Park Studios, a major film production facility.

Downsview Airport was a cornerstone of Canadian aviation for nearly a century.
- **De Havilland Canada (1929):** The airport was originally built by de Havilland Aircraft of Canada as a manufacturing plant and airfield. It became the birthplace of many iconic Canadian-designed aircraft.
- **World War II:** It played a crucial role in the Allied war effort as part of the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan. The facility produced thousands of aircraft, including the Tiger Moth trainer and the famed Mosquito fighter-bomber.
- **Military Base (1947-1990s):** After the war, the site was expropriated by the Department of National Defence and became RCAF Station Downsview, later Canadian Forces Base Toronto. It served as a key air transport, logistics, and search-and-rescue base during the Cold War. It was also where the powerful Iroquois engines for the cancelled Avro Arrow interceptor were tested.
- **Bombardier Aerospace (1992-2024):** Bombardier acquired de Havilland in 1992 and continued the manufacturing legacy. It produced the globally successful Dash 8 (Q-Series) regional turboprops and the prestigious Global family of long-range business jets on-site.
- **Other Operations:** Over the years, it hosted the Toronto Aerospace Museum, the Defence Research and Development Canada (DRDC) labs, and served as a base for Toronto Police Service and Ornge air ambulance helicopters. It also hosted major public events, including Pope John Paul II's World Youth Day mass in 2002 and the Molson Canadian Rocks for Toronto ('SARS-stock') concert in 2003.

Zero. The prospect of reopening Downsview Airport is non-existent. The closure is permanent and irreversible. The land has been sold for urban development, the primary operator has relocated, and comprehensive, multi-billion dollar redevelopment plans are already underway. The site's future is firmly committed to becoming a dense urban community, not an active airport.