Downsview Airport, formerly , is a now-closed airport located in

Toronto Toronto ( , locally pronounced or ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most populous city in Canada. It is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a p ...

Ontario Ontario is the southernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Located in Central Canada, Ontario is the Population of Canada by province and territory, country's most populous province. As of the 2021 Canadian census, it ...

, Canada. An air field, then air force base, it has been a testing facility for

Bombardier Aerospace Bombardier Aviation, a division of Bombardier Inc., is headquartered in Dorval, Quebec, Canada. The company currently produces the Global and Challenger series of business jets. At its peak, Bombardier operated manufacturing plants in 27 c ...

from 1994. In 2018, Bombardier sold the facility to Northcrest Developments, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the

Public Sector Pension Investment Board The Public Sector Pension Investment Board (PSP Investments) is a Canadian Crown corporation established by the Parliament of Canada in September 1999 through the ''Public Sector Pension Investment Board Act''. PSP Investments is one of Canada's ...

; in late 2023, Northcrest announced that industrial and airport operations would close by mid-2024, as redevelopment into commercial and residential properties moves forward. The airport was closed as of April 2024. On 17 August 2024, Northcrest Developments unveiled a new identity for the of the former Downsview Airport lands drawing on the site’s history: YZD, as the transformation kicks off. Downsview Airport had its own fire service ( Bombardier Aerospace Emergency Services) which covered airport operations (using two airport fire rescue vehicles) and plant operations (using two SUV

emergency vehicle An emergency vehicle is a vehicle used by emergency services. Emergency vehicles typically have specialized Emergency vehicle lighting, emergency lighting and Emergency vehicle equipment, vehicle equipment that allow emergency services to reach Ca ...

s). Bombardier Emergency Services employees were cross-trained as

firefighter A firefighter (or fire fighter or fireman) is a first responder trained in specific emergency response such as firefighting, primarily to control and extinguish fires and respond to emergencies such as hazardous material incidents, medical in ...

first responders A first responder is a person with specialized training who is among the first to arrive and provide assistance or incident resolution at the scene of an emergency. First responders typically include law enforcement officers (commonly known as ...

and

airport security Airport security includes the techniques and methods used in an attempt to protect passengers, staff, aircraft, and airport property from malicious harm, crime, terrorism, and other threats. Aviation security is a combination of measures and hum ...

History

de Havilland Airfield / Downsview Airfield

de Havilland Airfield or Downsview Airfield opened in 1929 by

de Havilland Canada De Havilland Aircraft of Canada Limited (DHC) is a Canadian aircraft manufacturer that has produced numerous aircraft models since its inception including the popular De Havilland Canada Dash 8, Dash 8. The company's primary facilities were loca ...

, the Canadian division of the British aerospace company,

de Havilland The de Havilland Aircraft Company Limited (pronounced , ) was a British aviation manufacturer established in late 1920 by Geoffrey de Havilland at Stag Lane Aerodrome Edgware on the outskirts of North London. Operations were later moved to ...

as a

general aviation General aviation (GA) is defined by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) as all civil aviation aircraft operations except for commercial air transport or aerial work, which is defined as specialized aviation services for other ...

airfield and one of two airports in the area apart from

Pearson Airport Toronto Pearson International Airport is an international airport located in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada. It is the main airport serving Toronto, its Greater Toronto Area, metropolitan area, and the surrounding region known as the Golden Hors ...

for testing aircraft at the site manufacturing plant. The airfield was expanded as a military installation during

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

by the

Royal Canadian Air Force The Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF; ) is the air and space force of Canada. Its role is to "provide the Canadian Forces with relevant, responsive and effective airpower". The RCAF is one of three environmental commands within the unified Can ...

and renamed

RCAF Station Downsview Canadian Forces Base Toronto (also CFB Toronto) is a former Canadian Forces base that operated at the site of Downsview Airport in Toronto, Ontario. The airfield is currently referred to as the 'YZD district' for residential and commercial redev ...

, now CFB Toronto.

Downsview Airport

Downsview Airport was developed in 1939 as an airfield next to an aircraft manufacturing plant operated by

. In 1947, the

Department of National Defence A ministry of defence or defense (see spelling differences), also known as a department of defence or defense, is the part of a government responsible for matters of defence and military forces, found in states where the government is divided ...

purchased property surrounding the airfield and expanded it, creating

to provide an air base for

units. The base was renamed Canadian Forces Base Toronto (Downsview) in 1968 and retained this name until its closure in 1996. From 1998, the property was administered by a civilian

Crown corporation Crown corporation () is the term used in Canada for organizations that are structured like private companies, but are directly and wholly owned by the government. Crown corporations have a long-standing presence in the country, and have a sign ...

, officially known as Parc Downsview Park, which co-managed the airfield with

(the successor to de Havilland Canada). The airfield was used to host the 1984 and 2002 papal visits by

Pope John Paul II Pope John Paul II (born Karol Józef Wojtyła; 18 May 19202 April 2005) was head of the Catholic Church and sovereign of the Vatican City State from 16 October 1978 until Death and funeral of Pope John Paul II, his death in 2005. In his you ...

, as well as to host the

Molson Canadian Rocks for Toronto Molson Canadian Rocks for Toronto, also known as SARSStock, was a benefit rock concert that was held in Toronto, Ontario, Canada on July 30, 2003. An estimated 450,000 to 500,000 people attended the concert, making it is the largest outdoor tick ...

concert headlined by

The Rolling Stones The Rolling Stones are an English Rock music, rock band formed in London in 1962. Active for over six decades, they are one of the most popular, influential, and enduring bands of the Album era, rock era. In the early 1960s, the band pione ...

to revive the local economy after the

severe acute respiratory syndrome Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) is a viral respiratory disease of zoonotic origin caused by the virus SARS-CoV-1, the first identified strain of the SARS-related coronavirus. The first known cases occurred in November 2002, and the sy ...

(SARS) outbreak in 2003. The airfield has also served as a test site for several famous aircraft produced by de Havilland and

Avro Canada Avro Canada was a Canadian aircraft manufacturing company. It was founded in 1945 as an aircraft plant and within 13 years became the third-largest company in Canada, one of the largest 100 companies in the world, and directly employing over 50 ...

, including the

Beaver Beavers (genus ''Castor'') are large, semiaquatic rodents of the Northern Hemisphere. There are two existing species: the North American beaver (''Castor canadensis'') and the Eurasian beaver (''C. fiber''). Beavers are the second-large ...

, the Twin Otter, and the Dash 8. The airport was available to pilots only with prior permission. Bombardier Aerospace at one time owned twelve

hangar A hangar is a building or structure designed to hold aircraft or spacecraft. Hangars are built of metal, wood, or concrete. The word ''hangar'' comes from Middle French ''hanghart'' ("enclosure near a house"), of Germanic origin, from Frankish ...

s in the southwest corner of the airport, where the Dash 8 was built and assembled. The

Bombardier Global Express The Bombardier Global Express is a large cabin, long-range business jet designed and manufactured by Bombardier Aviation. Announced in October 1991, it first flew in October 1996, received its Canadian type certification in July 1998 and ente ...

and the variant Global 5000 were also assembled here at the Downsview plant, as were the wings and wingboxes of the

Learjet 45 The Learjet 45 (LJ45) is a mid-size business jet aircraft produced by the Learjet, Learjet Division of Bombardier Aerospace. The Model 45 was the first all-new design since the original Learjet, and significantly altered the Learjet line. Throug ...

. The

Bombardier CSeries The Airbus A220 is a family of five-abreast narrow-body airliners by Airbus Canada Limited Partnership (ACLP). It was originally developed by Bombardier Aviation and had two years in service as the Bombardier CSeries. The program was launche ...

jet had landed at the airfield in 2015, but is assembled in Montreal. The airport had one operational runway, 15/33 at with a parallel taxiway. Runway 09/27 at was previously closed (east section removed), as was runway 04/22 at (north section removed and south part retained as taxiway into the Bombardier plant). Bombardier has an agreement to sell the Downsview Airport and its manufacturing plant to

(PSP Investments). Under the agreement, Bombardier can use Downsview for up to five years. Bombardier signed a lease agreement with the

Greater Toronto Airports Authority The Greater Toronto Airports Authority (GTAA; ) is a Canadian non-profit organization that operates Toronto Pearson International Airport in Mississauga, Ontario, Canada. The airport is Canada's largest, that handled 49.5 million passengers in 20 ...

to build a new facility at

on where it would move the production of its Global series planes. Plans for Dash 8 production were not announced at that time. In November 2018, Bombardier sold the Dash 8 business and the DeHavilland name to

Viking Air Viking Air Ltd. was an operator and manufacturer of aircraft, as well as aircraft parts and systems, based at Victoria International Airport in North Saanich, British Columbia, Canada. The company provides upgrades to the DHC-2 Beaver, spare ...

, which has not disclosed its long-term plans for Dash 8 production beyond the existing already agreed-upon time frame for Downsview.

Farewell of De Havilland Canada

On 11 June 2022, a private event was held at Downsview Airport, commemorating the farewell of

De Havilland Canada De Havilland Aircraft of Canada Limited (DHC) is a Canadian aircraft manufacturer that has produced numerous aircraft models since its inception including the popular De Havilland Canada Dash 8, Dash 8. The company's primary facilities were loca ...

after 94 years at the airport. Many past and present employees and their families were invited to attend. The event featured showcases of various de Havilland Canada aircraft, with some arriving and departing from the airport during the occasion

Military housing

A series of homes were built for

Canadian Forces The Canadian Armed Forces (CAF; , FAC) are the unified Military, military forces of Canada, including sea, land, and air commands referred to as the Royal Canadian Navy, Canadian Army and the Royal Canadian Air Force. Under the ''National Defenc ...

personnel at the corner of

Keele Street Keele Street is a north–south road in Toronto and York Region in Ontario, Canada. It stretches , running from Bloor Street in Toronto to the Holland Marsh. It begins at Bloor Street, as a continuation of Parkside Drive, which was originally pa ...

and

Sheppard Avenue Sheppard Avenue is an east–west principal arterial road in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The street has two distinct branches near its eastern end, with the original route being a collector road leading to Pickering, Ontario, Pickering via a turno ...

West and at the south end of the base property. Access to the north end housing on Robert Woodhead Crescent and John Drury Drive was restricted to base personnel and fenced off from the neighbouring properties. After the military base being closed down, the housing was abandoned and torn down.

Future development

In May 2024, Northcrest Developments took control of the site, following Bombardier's relocation to a new facility. On 17 August 2024, Northcrest unveiled a new identity for the site, naming it YZD, a nod to the former airport code and honouring the site’s legacy of innovation. The $30-billion CAD transformation of the site will unfold over the next 30 years. The project includes the creation of seven new neighbourhoods, encompassing over of residential space, over of commercial and cultural spaces, and approximately of parks, green, and open spaces, including the reimagined Runway. The Runway will become the anchor of the community as a pedestrianized open space, while the hangars will be retrofitted to house new commercial and cultural ventures. Upon completion, YZD is expected to accommodate over 55,000 residents and create 23,000 jobs. On 26 September 2024, United States-based

Live Nation Entertainment Live Nation Entertainment, Inc. is an American multinational entertainment company that was founded in 2010 following the merger of Live Nation and Ticketmaster. It promotes, operates and manages ticket sales for live entertainment internation ...

confirmed that Rogers Stadium will debut at YZD in June 2025. The new stadium will be an open-air concert venue with a stated capacity of 50,000, and according to ''

Billboard A billboard (also called a hoarding in the UK and many other parts of the world) is a large outdoor advertising structure (a billing board), typically found in high-traffic areas such as alongside busy roads. Billboards present large advertis ...

Canada'' is "one of the world's few venues of the size that isn't also home to a sports team." The first concert that Rogers Stadium will host will be

Stray Kids Stray Kids (often abbreviated to SKZ; ) is a South Korean boy band formed by JYP Entertainment. The band consists of eight members: Bang Chan, Lee Know, Changbin, Hyunjin, Han (musician), Han, Felix (rapper), Felix, Seungmin, and I.N. For un ...

on their Dominate World Tour.

Tenants

* Parc

Downsview Park Downsview Park () is a large urban park located in the Downsview, Toronto, Downsview neighbourhood of Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The park's name is officially Bilingualism in Canada, bilingual due to it being federally owned and managed, and was ...

–

Government of Canada The Government of Canada (), formally His Majesty's Government (), is the body responsible for the federation, federal administration of Canada. The term ''Government of Canada'' refers specifically to the executive, which includes Minister of t ...

- closed in 2023 but will remain at site for up to three years plus two-year extension if needed. ** Centennial College Bombardier Centre for Aerospace and Aviation at Downsview Campus ** Tree City ** The Hangar Sports Complex *** Toronto Roller Derby ** The Toronto Wildlife Centre ** BMO Training Ground, training facility for

Toronto FC Toronto Football Club is a Canadian professional Association football, soccer club based in Toronto. The club competes in Major League Soccer (MLS) as a member of the Eastern Conference (MLS), Eastern Conference. The team plays its home matc ...

, a

Major League Soccer Major League Soccer (MLS) is a professional Association football, soccer league in North America and the highest level of the United States soccer league system. It comprises 30 teams, with 27 in the United States and 3 in Canada, and is sanc ...

team, and home stadium for the

Toronto FC Academy Toronto FC Academy, also known as TFC Academy, is the Youth system, youth academy and development system of Canadian Major League Soccer club Toronto FC, which competes in MLS Next. The academy has divisions from U14 to U19 and includes over 110 ...

Canadian Armed Forces The Canadian Armed Forces (CAF; , FAC) are the unified Military, military forces of Canada, including sea, land, and air commands referred to as the Royal Canadian Navy, Canadian Army and the Royal Canadian Air Force. Under the ''National Defenc ...

4th Canadian Division The 4th Canadian Division is a formation of the Canadian Army. It is currently responsible for Canadian Army operations in the Canadian province of Ontario and is headquartered at Denison Armoury in Toronto. The division was first created as ...

headquarters ** Area Support Unit Toronto (formerly Garrison Support Unit Toronto) ** Denison Armoury ** 32 Canadian Brigade Group headquarters ** 2 Intelligence Company ** 32 Combat Engineer Regiment ** 25 (Toronto) Service Battalion ** The Governor General's Horse Guards * Wilson Yard, the largest subway yard of the

Toronto Transit Commission The Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) is the primary public transport agency in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, operating the majority of the city's transit bus, bus and rail services. It is the oldest and largest of the urban transit service providers ...

Buildings located within or next to the airport: * Bombardier Aerospace facility – southwest end of the airport *

CFB Downsview Canadian Forces Base Toronto (also CFB Toronto) is a former Canadian Forces base that operated at the site of Downsview Airport in Toronto, Ontario. The airfield is currently referred to as the 'YZD district' for residential and commercial red ...

hangars – northeast end of the airport * Farmers market – northwest end *

Downsview Park station Downsview Park is a rapid transit station on Line 1 Yonge–University of the Toronto subway and a commuter rail station on the Barrie line, Barrie commuter rail line of GO Transit. Subway service began on December 17, 2017, and GO Train service ...

– north end, combined subway / commuter train station Former tenants * Canadian Air and Space Conservancy, formerly the Canadian Air and Space Museum, and the Toronto Aerospace Museum, and before that the original factory for de Havilland Aircraft of Canada (until 2012), now located at Edenvale Aerodrome

Roads

Most of the roads at Downsview are city-owned roadways: * John Drury Drive - portions are a private access road for the

named for

sapper A sapper, also called a combat engineer, is a combatant or soldier who performs a variety of military engineering duties, such as breaching fortifications, demolitions, bridge-building, laying or clearing minefields, preparing field defenses ...

John Drury of the Canadian Engineers * Yukon Lane * Carl Hall Road - former section of Sheppard Avenue and named for

private Private or privates may refer to: Music * "In Private", by Dusty Springfield from the 1990 album ''Reputation'' * Private (band), a Denmark-based band * "Private" (Ryōko Hirosue song), from the 1999 album ''Private'', written and also recorded ...

Carl Hall, American born World War I member of the Central Ontario Regiment * Canuck Avenue * Hanover Road * Beffort Road * Robert Woodhead Crescent - private access road for the

* Garratt Blvd * Plewes Road

Accidents and incidents

* 14 February 1956, a pre-delivery de Havilland U-1A Otter for the

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the primary Land warfare, land service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is designated as the Army of the United States in the United States Constitution.Article II, section 2, clause 1 of th ...

broke up mid-air and crashed near Downsview (into farm field around Finch Avenue West and

), killing all five on board.

Notes

Citations

References

Downsview Park

Bruce Forsyth's Military History Page
{{authority control Defunct airports in Ontario Airports established in 1929 Airports disestablished in 2024 1929 establishments in Ontario 2024 disestablishments in Ontario Transport in Toronto Buildings and structures in Toronto North York