Story and photos by John Chalmers
Edmonton City Centre Airport, previously named as the Edmonton Municipal Airport and known as the “Muni’ for short, was closed in 2013 for redevelopment as a residential district. Originally known as Blatchford Field, it began operation as Canada’s first municipally licensed airport in 1927. The airfield was named for the city’s mayor at the time, Kenneth Blatchford.
The historic area is now undergoing transformation. The largest project to be completed so far is a development of 14 buildings with 91 rental apartments built by Stratosphere Properties of Vancouver.
The project is named “Pilot,” in recognition of the aviation history associated with the land. In less than two years following a ground breaking ceremony in July 2025, the 14 buildings were open to rent, presently at 90% occupancy.
Aaron Guo, president of Stratosphere Properties, unveiled the plaque recognizing the historical importance of aviation to the area.
At the plaque dedication, left to right are John Chalmers, Erwin Loewen and Nick Nimchuk of 700 (City o Edmonton) Wing of the RCAF Association; Jonathan Ok, COO of Stratosphere Properties and Aaron Guo, president of Stratosphere Properties; Anne Stevenson, city councillor for the ward in which Blatchford is located; Joshua Culling, Blatchford Development Project Leader for the City of Edmonton; Tom Sand, chairman of 700 Wing, RCAF Association; brothers Kris and Jared Beyer of Launch Properties, project managers for the development. (Courtesy of Stratosphere Properties)
I was asked by Stratosphere Properties president, Aaron Guo, if I would write the text for a plaque to be erected upon completion that would honour the place of Blatchford Field in Edmonton’s aviation history. The plaque was designed by Nanette Booth, who created the design for the vinyl-wrapped CT-33 Silver Star jet that commemorates the 100th anniversary of the RCAF at the Alberta Aviation Museum.
On Saturday, October 17, the plaque was unveiled by Aaron Guo at a special area in the Pilot development. In doing so, with his prepared remarks, Aaron paid tribute to the history and importance of Blatchford Field and to service by Edmonton’s civilian and military operations.
In addition to the text, three photos have been placed in the plaque. One photo is of Kenneth Blatchford, for whom the original airfield and now the district is named. Peter Blatchford, his son, who flew as a fighter pilot ace with Royal Air Force in the Second World War, was killed in combat in 1943. The third photo is of Wilfrid “Wop” May, a fighter pilot ace of the First World War. Post-war, he gained additional fame as a bush pilot. During the Second World War he served as manager of No. 2 Air Observer School of the British Commonwealth Air Training
Program (BCATP) in Edmonton, based at the hangar that is now home to the Alberta Aviation Museum.
Design of the plaque incorporates the graphic image of a de Havilland Tiger Moth. How appropriate that is! Biplanes flew from Blatchford Field in its early days. During the war, biplane Tiger Moths flew from No. 16 Elementary Flying Training School of the BCATP in Edmonton. In 2015, RCAF wartime navigator Norman Reid, who graduated from No 2 AOS, donated to the museum a Tiger Moth he had acquired, which actually flew from No 16 EFTS during the war years!
The large commemorative plaque at the Pilot residential development is a permanent reminder of the history in the area that once was an airport.
Residential buildings in the Pilot development of Blatchford District are three storeys high with the garage and entrance at street level and living areas above.
Roads in the Pilot development honour individuals important to Edmonton’s aviation history. Premier Edmonton historian Tony Cashman, flew a full tour of 30 operations as an RCAF navigator aboard Halifax bombers during the war. Terry Champion, a captain with Pacific Western Airlines and Canadian Airlines, was instrumental in establishing the Alberta Aviation Museum. Post-war, both Tony and Terry flew B-25 Mitchell bombers as fellow members of RCAF 418 Squadron when it operated from the hangar that is now home to the Museum. They are remembered in the 30th anniversary of the book about the Museum, available in the gift shop.
Blatchford is named for Kenneth Blatchford, who served first as alderman and later as mayor of Edmonton during the years of 1921-1926. He convinced the City to establish an “air harbour” to serve a growing interest in aviation after the First World War. After it opened in 1927, Blatchford Field became the first licensed municipal airfield in Canada. At that time it served pioneers in Canadian aviation who were bush pilots or entrepreneurs operating small aviation companies to serve northern areas in Alberta and Canada.
Ultimately known as Edmonton’s City Centre Airport prior to its closing in 2013, the airport with its three runways was one of the busiest airports in Canada during the Second World War. The west side of the airport housed RCAF Station Edmonton with two schools of the British Commonwealth Air Training Program. No. 16 Elementary Flying Training School trained pilots. No. 2 Air Observer School trained navigators, operating from the hangar that is now home to the Alberta Aviation Museum.
The growing aviation industry located at the airport, the increasing activity in private and commercial flying, and wartime service all contributed to Edmonton becoming known as the Gateway to the North. Steady wartime activity at the airport was also seen as aircraft were flown from the United States through Edmonton to Fairbanks, Alaska, in a project known as the Northwest Staging Route to provide American aircraft for Russia to serve in its defence.
For some 60 years after the Second World War, the airport was active with regular use ranging from flights of personal light aircraft to scheduled service of jet airliners. Although the runways are now gone, today the aviation museum and the aircraft it houses are part of the rich flying history of Edmonton, and the Blatchford name remains as a new residential district in Edmonton.