So long, Buttonville; you will be missed.

Another airfield gone

Today marks the end of an era. After 70 years of operation, the Buttonville airport CYKZ has been officially closed as of 9:00Z. Although the airport is scheduled to shut down on November 30, the runways are already closed, and one of the runways has been grooved to prevent its use. The main runway 15/33 is also expected to follow suit in the near future.

Buttonville airport was founded in 1953 when Fred F. Gilles started Gillies Flying Service on a grass airstrip. The airport expanded when Leggat Aviation owner Jim Leggat moved his business to Buttonville in 1962. Michael Sifton purchased Buttonville in 1963, with one metal hangar and a grass airstrip. Sifton's company, Toronto Airways Ltd., built a terminal in 1967, as well as an air traffic control tower and other facilities. Toronto Airways played a key role in training hundreds of pilots over the years, and Seneca College also used the airport for decades as the center of its flight training program.

Buttonville airport was a bustling airfield right up until its closure, with over 150,000 takeoffs and landings per month. It is disheartening to see such a historic airport being closed to make way for urban development. Unfortunately, CYKZ is just one of the many airports in the Toronto area that have been lost to time, including Maple, King City, Leaside, and soon Downsview.

While general aviation takes another hit, we must remember the good memories of CYKZ and look to the future to find ways to continue supporting our GA community. Thank you, Buttonville, for the wonderful memories.