Kuujjuaq Airport

Kuujjuaq Airport, originally known as Fort Chimo Airport, is located in northern Quebec near Ungava Bay and was built by the United States, with the Canadian permission, as part of the U.S. Air Force's Crimson Route. This was to be a short stage overland ferry route to northern Europe from California by way of The Pas, Churchill, Coral Harbour, Chimo, Frobisher, Greenland and Iceland. Construction was started by the USAF in September 1942 and by April 5, 1945 a landing strip 3 000 by 150 feet had been developed.

The province of Quebec granted a reservation of the airport site, approximately eight miles square, to the Department of Transport effective August 1, 1944. Problems which arose as some Inuit settled within the area reserved for the airport, were eventually solved; and in 1970 a new provincial Order in Council authorized airport use of all lands required.

After the war, Canada purchased the U.S.-built airports in this country for a sum of $ 27 million. The USAF, however, remained caretaker of the Chimo Airport for a number of years after the war.

In August 1945, the RCAF asked the Department of Transport to maintain the airport for photographic survey operations during 1946 and 1947; and by fall 1947, only twelve American civilians remained in charge for the airport, which was fully transferred to the RCAF in October 1949. In September 1950, Transport took over responsibility from the RCAF on a minimum basis, using equipment left on the base. Most of this was destroyed by fire in January 1951, following which two employees with home-made drags maintained the strip.

Meanwhile (on February 26 1948) Mount Laurier Aviation Ltd. was given permission to use the airport to transport mining exploration teams.

During the construction of the DEW¹ Line (1956-58), Chimo Airport became one of the main airports on the Mont-Joli-Moncton-Goose Bay- Frobisher route.

On January 31, 1955, a temporary airport licence was issued to Boreal Airways, which operated the airport under lease from the Department of Transport. A new temporary airport licence was issued to Nordair (which took over Boreal) on June 10, 1958. The Foundation Company of Canada, the prime DEW Line contractor at the time, was responsible for maintenance.

Upon completion of the DEW Line, Transport received complaints that the airport was not adequately maintained as an en route facility for aircraft flying to and from Frobisher Bay (Iqualuit). Consequently, on September 30, 1958, the airport lease to Nordair was cancelled, and the Department assumed operation on December 15, 1958, with a temporary licence which was made permanent in September 1966. By then Fort Chimo Airport was an important base for commercial operations in the Artic, as well as being an alternate airport for commercial and military aircraft en route to Frobisher Bay.

A rotation beacon was installed in October 1958. At that time, airport users were Nordair, Wheeler Airlines, World Wide Airlines, the RCAF, and Nordair.

In 1968, major resurfacing began on the main runway, 08-26; and to avoid closing the airport, gravel runway 14-32 was reopened. September 30, 1969, the paving of runway 08-26 was completed.

In 1972, a new air terminal building was constructed at a cost of $ 416 112 and an Instrument Landing System (ILS) and Non-Directional Beacon (NDB) were installed. Nordair moved into the new terminal on February 14, 1973.

On August 28, 1980, the name of the airport was changed from Fort Chimo to Kuujjuaq, after the nearby municipality.

Source: T.M. McGrath, History of Canadian Airports

1. This is the Distance Early Warning (radar) line, wich extends frome the Alaska-Yukon boarder to Baffin Island. It was planned by the United States and Canada, but financed by the U.S..

Kuujjuaq Airport is owned by Transport Canada (TC) and operated by the Kativik Regional Government since 1996 by way of a lease and a contribution agreement. It is considered a remote airport under the National Airport Policy.

In 2006, $14.9 million was spent on terminal construction and apron expansion work. The apron's surface was extended from 15,230 m² to 32,537 m² to help solve the congestion problems and increase aircraft and traveller safety. The new, highly energy-efficient terminal building was constructed using cutting-edge technology and according to sustainable development practices for certification as a green building, more specifically, the “Silver” certification issued by the Canadian LEED® system (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design). A thermosiphon system was also installed under the terminal to prevent damage to the new structure should the permafrost thaw. Once completed, the new terminal won a prestigious Green Building Award from the Canadian Institute of Steel Construction.

With its new air terminal building, in operation since January 19, 2008, Kuujjuaq Airport is now equipped with the most modern facilities in Canada's Great North.