After Years of Doubt and Decline, Toronto’s Buttonville Airport Is Closed

The family-owned field rose and fell over a 60-year period.

Jonathan Welsh

Friday, December 01, 2023 at 06:04 PM ET

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Buttonville Airport grew from a turf strip to a busy urban reliever.

Key Takeaways:

Toronto's Buttonville Airport (CYKZ), once one of Canada's busiest, has officially closed on November 30 after years of rumors and a drawn-out process.
The closure required approximately 300 aircraft to be removed, with many owners initially skeptical due to previous false alarms regarding its impending shutdown.
The primary reason for the airport's closure is the significant increase in real estate value, as the once-remote facility became landlocked within a dense, urban area.
The former airport property, which started as a turf strip in 1953 and evolved into a bustling towered facility, is reportedly slated for construction of numerous warehouses.

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After years of speculation, rumors, and a drawn-out process one local pilot said was akin to a roller-coaster ride, Toronto’s Buttonville Airport (CYKZ), once one of Canada’s busiest, has closed.

Airport management announced in May that the airport would shut down on November 30 and that all aircraft, including about 300 based at the field, would have to be removed by then. While that single message seemed clear, it was part of a series of communications that were not always reliable.