The rumble of a distant plane a ghost of sound. Buttonville Municipal Airport. A place once alive with the roar of engines now stands silent.
Buttonville Municipal Airport opened in 1953. It wasn’t always a bustling hub. It started as a simple grass airstrip. Leggat Aviation moved its operations from Barker Field in Toronto. This humble beginning marked the airport’s rise. It officially became an airport in 1962.
Fred F Gillies played a significant role. He operated Buttonville Airport and Gillies Flying Service from 1953 until 1958. His legacy lives on in the airport’s history. The airport grew. It became Canada’s 20th busiest airport by aircraft movements in 2014. This was despite strict noise reduction procedures. The airport operated 24/7.
A new air traffic control tower was built in 2007. This replaced the older 1967 facility. The new tower was a $2 million investment. It housed ten air traffic controllers. They handled 84000 aircraft movements annually. Nav Canada shut down the tower in 2019.
Buttonville Municipal Airport was more than just planes. It housed many tenants. These included flight schools. News traffic units called it home. Maintenance and fuel services were provided. Even the Toronto Police Service used its helipad. Seneca College once had an aviation campus there. It later relocated to Peterborough.
Sadly Buttonville Municipal Airport closed on November 24 2023. This was after 70 years of operation. The airport’s closure brought an end to an era. Its legacy however endures. The memories of countless flights and the people who made the airport a part of their lives will always be remembered. The planned redevelopment will transform the site. But the history of Buttonville Municipal Airport will live on. The ghosts of planes will forever hum above this quiet space.