City Centre Airport History
In 1924 few Edmontonians could imagine the impact that two acres of the Hagmann farm would have on the city and the world. In response to a petition by W.R. [Wop] May and Harry Adair, Edmonton City Council designated a portion of the Hagmann estate to be set aside for the city's first airfield.
On 16 June 1926, the federal government granted Edmonton the licence for Canada's first "Public Air Harbour." Later that same year council approved a motion to honour Ken Blatchford, Edmonton's aviation-minded mayor, christening the new airport Blatchford Field. On 8 January 1927, Blatchford Field officially opened with the arrival of two Siskin fighters from Royal Canadian Air Force No. 2 Squadron, stationed in High River. This was one of many firsts which would soon give Edmonton the unofficial title of "The Gateway to the North," a title which would take on new importance and significance during the Second World War.
In Europe, Hitler's armies rolled over Polish borders, taking the world to war in September 1939. The city of Edmonton was quick to recognize the potential use of Blatchford Field in the war effort, and offered Ottawa the use of its air harbour facilities. Ottawa was equally swift to respond; and Canada agreed to pay the city of Edmonton one dollar per annum for the duration of the war. Initially two criteria were established, the first being that Blatchford Field continue its operations as one of the nation's leading air-freight centres. Commercial business and services, especially to the north, were to continue as before. The second requested that Captain Jimmy Bell continue to manage the overall operation of the airport under the jurisdiction of the Royal Canadian Air Force. This met with full approval as Captain Bell already had been associated with, or been managing, the airfield for almost two decades with great success.
Captain Bell could not foresee the events that were about to engulf Blatchford Field, which he had already watched grow from a cow pasture to one of the nation's leading commercial airports. In the next few years Edmonton would witness a virtual explosion of activity at Blatchford Field. It would begin with the development of commercial passenger services and related support industries, and rapidly lead to organization of the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan, the formation of the Northwest Staging Route, and construction of the Alaska Highway and Canol Pipeline. In a few short years Blatchford Field was to become the busiest airfield in North America. from the Heritage Community Foundation
City Centre Airport Today
- One of the busiest General Aviation Airport in Canada with over 87,500 air movements in 2007.
- Major air ambulance/medivac service airport for northern Alberta, Northwest Territories, as well as some medivac from Saskatchewan and British Columbia.
- Over 900 people employed on airport in all capacities.
- Multi Million dollar business tax base.
