Cartierville Airport

Cartierville Airport
source
Name	Cartierville Airport
Iata	YCV
Icao	CYCV
Type	Defunct
City-served	Montreal
Location	Saint-Laurent, Quebec
Elevation-f	68

Cartierville Airport was a municipal airfield serving Montreal, located in the Saint-Laurent borough of Montreal on the Island of Montreal (island). Opened in the early 20th century, the facility became a hub for civil aviation, Royal Canadian Air Force training, and light commercial services, connecting to airports such as Toronto Pearson International Airport, Montréal–Trudeau International Airport, and regional aerodromes like Saint-Hubert (Montreal) Airport and Dorval Airport. Through mid-century developments it interacted with entities including Trans-Canada Air Lines, Canadian Pacific Air Lines, and aviation organizations such as the Canadian Aviation Historical Society and the Aviation Hall of Fame of Canada.

History

The site near Cartierville was first used for aviation demonstrations that involved figures like Billy Bishop, Charles Lindbergh, and aircraft manufacturers such as Canadian Vickers and Bell Aircraft Corporation. In the 1920s and 1930s the airfield hosted operations tied to Aviation Branch (Canadian Department of National Defence), alongside civilian operators linked to Air France, Imperial Airways, and emerging Canadian carriers including Canadian Airways. During World War II the aerodrome was integrated into the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan efforts, with units associated with the Royal Canadian Air Force and maintenance activity by contractors like No. 1 (BR) Group RAF-associated firms. Postwar expansion saw corporate activity from companies such as De Havilland Canada, Lockheed, Rolls-Royce (Canada service centers), and flight schools with instructors formerly of Royal Canadian Mounted Police air divisions and Trans-Canada Air Lines veterans.

Facilities and operations

The airfield featured paved runways, hangars, a control tower, and maintenance facilities similar to installations at Malton Airport and Vancouver International Airport early layouts. Ground infrastructure connected to transport corridors like Autoroute 13 and rail lines used by Canadian National Railway freight services. Navigation equipment and communications referenced standards from the International Civil Aviation Organization and navigation aids comparable to those at Mirabel International Airport during its planning, and the field accommodated piston and early turboprop types from manufacturers Beechcraft, Cessna, Douglas Aircraft Company, and Fairchild. Flight training organizations, charter operators, and fixed-base operators included affiliates of Aero Club of Canada chapters and maintenance shops servicing engines from Pratt & Whitney, General Electric, and Allison Engine Company.

Airlines and destinations

Scheduled and non-scheduled services varied over decades, with air taxi and commuter routes operating between local points like Saint-Hubert (Montreal) Airport, Ottawa Macdonald–Cartier International Airport, Quebec City Jean Lesage International Airport, and regional strips serving Laurentides and Montérégie destinations. Operators over time included commuter carriers analogous to Airlines of Ontario-era firms, charter outfits with ties to Airline Entrepreneurs and corporate shuttle services used by companies such as Bombardier Aerospace and Canadair. International ferry flights and demonstration hops connected Cartierville to exhibition events at venues like EAA AirVenture Oshkosh and airshows featuring participants from United Airlines and American Airlines demonstration teams.

Accidents and incidents

Notable incidents involved general aviation and commuter aircraft comparable to accidents recorded at regional fields such as Saint-Hubert Airport and Langley Regional Airport. Investigations were conducted by authorities modeled on the Transportation Safety Board of Canada and earlier inquiry bodies linked to Department of Transport (Canada). Aircraft types in incidents included models by Piper Aircraft, Curtiss-Wright, and Lockheed, with local emergency response coordinated with Montreal Fire Department and Sûreté du Québec protocols. Media coverage appeared in outlets like The Montreal Gazette and CBC Montreal.

Closure and legacy

The site closed in the late 20th century amid urban development pressures and planning initiatives by municipal bodies related to Ville de Montréal and provincial authorities such as Ministère des Transports du Québec. The former airfield area was redeveloped for residential, industrial, and parkland projects tied to agencies like Canada Lands Company and local planners influenced by models from reuse projects in Toronto and Vancouver. Aviation heritage organizations including the Canadian Museum of Flight and the Canadian Aviation Historical Society preserved artifacts and archives, while former airfield structures and memorials echoed the legacies of aviators like Jimmy Doolittle and pioneers documented by institutions such as the Canadian War Museum.

Category:Defunct airports in Canada Category:Transport in Montreal Category:History of Montreal