Landmark airport near Toronto is quickly closing as new development looms

The Toronto Buttonville Municipal Airport, a landmark that has long abutted Highway 404 just north of the city's bounds, is in its final few days of operation before it is taken over by developers on December 1.

Many have been wondering about the future of the prime piece of real estate, which was eyed for a mixed-use community including much-needed housing. 

But, it seems that developer and property manager Cadillac Fairview, which now owns the lands, plans to build a 2,775,000-square-foot, 11-building industrial plaza rather than a cluster of condo towers like residents had expected.

As the Markham hub prepares to shut down for good, Million Air Toronto and Torontoair Ltd — which have owned it since 1963 — have seen many "lasts," from the airport's last meeting of the Buttonville Flying Club on November 8 to the last days of its smaller runway, which was shuttered for decommissioning on Thursday.

End of an era. Wow.

— Patrice O' Hamilton (@achrosen) November 17, 2023

Those who provide aircraft maintenance out of Buttonville are expediting move-out efforts, with all tenants due to clear out within the next week, though owners have said they plan to "accept and service aircraft until that is no longer an option."

As of November 16, flyover images indicate that the smaller airstrip's markings have all been removed, with hardly any planes left on the once-packed tarmac.

It's a far cry from how locals likely remember the airport's grounds: perpetually full of all sorts of different unique aircraft, a few of which had some unbelievable emergency landings on local highways over the years.

Some groups that use Buttonville as a base, such as the eponymous flying club, will be continuing on elsewhere. But those who frequent it are calling its loss a tragedy and the end of an era, not only for the local aviation community that has known it for decades but for locals who regularly pass by the iconic little airfield.