The Current North Bay Jack Garland Airport
A new, third terminal building was constructed in 2002. In 2009, the airport received $10 million in upgrades, including the resurfacing of the 10,000 foot runway, in anticipation of world leaders flying in for the G8 and G20 summits in Muskoka and Toronto in 2010.
The North Bay Jack Garland Airport also has a dedicated airside post-secondary aviation training facility, the Canadore College School of Aviation. The school offers programming such as aviation and avionics maintenance, structural repair technology and rotary-wing pilot training.
In 2015, Porter Airlines began operating daily flights between North Bay and Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport on a five-year agreement. However, in 2017 Porter Airlines concluded its service in North Bay due to a lack of passenger demand.
From 1998 until 2015, the final assembly point for the Bombardier Canadair CL-415 ‘Super Scoop’ water bombers was at the North Bay Jack Garland Airport. The facility, located in one of the hangars previously owned and used by the Air Force, was for finishing the aircraft after partial-assembly in Montreal. In 2015 Bombardier ceased its operations in North Bay due to a lack of aircraft in production. In 2016, Bombardier sold the rights to build the water bombers to Viking Air Ltd. in British Columbia.
The Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry (MNRF) opened a $9.5 million Fire Management Facility at the North Bay Jack Garland Airport in 2017 to better protect northern communities and allow for faster deployment of fire crews to the surrounding areas. The base became home to seven fire ranger crews, and provided space for two water bombers, two bird dog planes, and two helicopters.
In 2020, Bearskin Airlines announced it would be increasing flight frequencies along its corridor connecting several cities in northeastern and northwestern Ontario, including North Bay.
Also in 2020, Air Canada announced it was canceling its service to and from the North Bay Jack Garland Airport as a result of an unprecedented drop in demand for air travel due to the COVID-19 pandemic. However, in April 2021, it was announced that regional air services would be restored to North Bay as part of a federal agreement to assist Air Canada.
The interior of the North Bay Jack Garland Airport.
It is a modern, full service, barrier-free, passenger friendly terminal, offering services and amenities including a customs desk, wireless internet access and an information kiosk.
North Bay Jack Garland Airport
Assembly of a Bombardier Canadair CL-415 water bomber at North Bay in 2008.
Testing of each new water bomber was conducted either on Lake Nipissing or Trout Lake. The water bombers can scoop up 6,140 litres of water that is then mixed with a foam and dropped to extinguish fires.
Viking Air & Bombardier Inc.
In 2020, a pair of water bombers from Manitoba were stationed in North Bay to supplement the MNRF’s Northern Ontario fleet, fighting a cluster of forest fires that were in the area.
North Bay Jack Garland Airport
An aerial view of the current runways and buildings at the North Bay Jack Garland Airport.
North Bay Jack Garland Airport