Our Evolution

It's that year that the Drummondville Airport was founded. Mr. Robert Bernard, owner of a piece of land alongside the route 139 in St-Nicéphore started the construction of a 1500' x 150' grass stip. A hangar was moved from Bagotville to Drummondville for a maintenance shop.

Mr. Philippe Bernier who was a certified flight instructor, started a flying school with some intervenients. The first two persons who got their private pilot licence were Miss Suzanne Bernard at the age of 16 and Mr. Gérard Perron, mayor of St-Joseph parrish of Drummondville.

At the end of the '50s, realizing the importance of an airport, the City of Drummondville bought the existing landing strip with a larger land adjacent to this one to accomodate in the future larger types of aircraft.

L'Association des Pilotes de Drummondville was founded in that year and those pilots put everything in place to have a seaplane base because of the proximity of the St-François River.

With the Federal Government efforts, a new 4000' x 75' hard surface runway was built. The construction started in fall of 1962. The inauguration of the new airport took place on September 25th, 1963 with the presence of high ranking persons and some 10,000 persons attending the flying display.

Mr. Larry Morin, holder of a private licence pilot, was the airport manager for 12 years followed by Mr. Claude Gaudet from 1975 to 1991. Then Les Services Aériens Drummond took over until March 1999.

The end of the '80s and the beginning of the '90s will bring some incertitudes. The economic situation will raise some concerns about the pertinence of an airport facility and its management. Concerned with a possible closure of the airport, MM. Marc Leclerc, André Veilleux and Jacques Scalzo, true passionate pilots would work on the airport situation with Mr. Jean-Guy Spénard, treasurer within the city council.

The Drummondville Regional Airport Corporation was commissionned on November 13, 1995. Its main objectives are to manage, expand and promote the airport facilities. MM. André Veilleux, Marc Leclerc and Jacques Scalzo will respectively act as president, vice-president and treasurer with the help of volunteers. A three phases plan improvement for the airport infrastructures was submitted to the City of Drummondville

Completion of phase I was achieved by the City of Drummondville with the construction of a new terminal and the installation of two outside fuel tanks (100 LL-Jet A). The parking area was completely rebuilt allowing the use of 25 tie-downs for airplanes. At the same time, the Corporation will invest some $100,000.00 on new equipment.

Completion of phase II was made by the City of Drummondville by investing substantial funds for the expansion of the manoeuvring area and the construction of a larger taxiway. A brand new high intensity lighting system was installed for the parking, the taxiway, the runway and a PAPI category 1. Again the Corporation will invest a substantial amount by expanding the terminal office and building a new radio communication tower.

New airport web site.
The Corporation proposes to the City council an industrial park on airport grounds.

The Corporation goes ahead with a development plan of the new airpark submitted to the City council. The main characteristics are the zoning modifications alowing a private, commercial and industrial use, the possibility to buy or lease the available lots and the planning for the first development works. Some repairs have been done to the sea base ramp just before summertime.

Relization of Phase I of airpark infrastructures. Two new hangars for private use have been built during that year. The Corporation and the City council are working together on the planning of Phase III wich consists to the making of a new 6000' x 150' runway.

Drummondville Airport
1950

Drummondville Airport
2006