WW2 airport infrastructure still litters Alberta

 

WW2 Claresholm Airport in Alberta

Yes, remnants of World War II airport infrastructure can still be found scattered across Alberta, particularly as old airfields, hangars, runways, and even abandoned gunnery backstops or concrete pads. Many of these sites were built for the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan (BCATP), which created a network of airfields for training Allied pilots and aircrew.^[1][2]

Surviving Airfields and Hangars

• Numerous triangular runway layouts typical of BCATP airfields are still visible across the Alberta prairie, often identifiable from satellite imagery, even when not apparent at ground level.^[1]
• Key sites such as the Vulcan/Kirkcaldy Aerodrome retain six of the original seven hangars from the war era, with some still used for storage or repurposed, but others in decline or collapse.^[3][4][2]
• Calgary and Edmonton both maintain historic WWII structures. In Calgary, the Hangar Flight Museum operates out of a former drill hall built during the war. In Edmonton, Hangar 11 and the Hangar 14 (now home to the Alberta Aviation Museum) stand as remnants of the massive Blatchford Field, crucial to the Lend-Lease program and the Northwest Staging Route.^[5][6][7][8]

Examples of Notable Sites

• Claresholm retains six of its original seven BCATP hangars, some repurposed for industry while others are derelict but culturally protected.^[2][9]
• The former Vulcan airfield’s runways remain, and several original buildings stand, albeit in varying condition.^[4][3]
• The Relief Landing Field in Airdrie, once a WW2 relief field, operates still as a civilian airfield with its runways intact.^[10]
• Hangars and building foundations are also preserved at various locations for commemoration or reuse, while other sites are little more than scattered concrete pads or traces visible only from the air.^[2][1]

Legacy and Preservation

• While some structures have been lost to demolition or nature, others are maintained as museums, storage, or for commemorative purposes, reflecting the enduring physical and historical imprint of WW2 air operations on Alberta’s landscape.^[6][7][5][2]
• The large-scale pilot and aircrew training effort under the BCATP left Alberta with a dispersed legacy of historic aviation sites—ranging from thriving museums and repurposed hangars to “ghost” airfields gradually disappearing into prairie grass.^[1][2]
  

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• https://www.vintagewings.ca/stories/the-ghosts-of-southern-alberta    
• https://globalnews.ca/news/8364090/veteran-second-world-war-airfields-rcaf-claresholm-alberta/      
• https://militarybruce.com/vulcan-airport-site-of-world-war-ii-training-schools/  
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RCAF_Station_Vulcan  
• https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/calgary-second-world-war-history-1.6641678  
• https://nationaltrustcanada.ca/nt-endangered-places/hangar-11  
• https://legacy.csce.ca/en/historic-site/bcatp-hangar-14-and-blatchford-field/  
• https://albertaaviationmuseum.com/about/museum-history/ 
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RCAF_Station_Claresholm 
• https://rcaf.info/rcaf-stations/alberta-rcaf-stations/rcaf-station-calgary-municipal/relief-landing-field-airdrie/ 
• https://skiesmag.com/news/new-life-canada-historic-airports/ 
• https://albertaaviationmuseum.com/records-of-unusual-size-edmontons-role-in-wwii-broadcasting/ 
• https://spacing.ca/edmonton/2013/11/28/celebrating-blatchford-field/ 
• https://lethbridgenewsnow.com/2020/11/11/new-life-at-one-of-canadas-historic-wwii-airports/ 
• https://www.history.alberta.ca/energyheritage/turner-valley-gas-plant/technology-and-infrastructure/transportation/airplanes.aspx 
• https://penholdbase.ca 
• https://www.project44.ca/northwest-staging-route 
• https://ww2aircraft.net/forum/threads/bcatp-airfields-then-and-now.51286/page-2 
• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RCAF_Station_Penhold 
• https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fwrhj33EqxM 

Will that happen to wind and solar farms?

Wind and solar farms in Alberta are unlikely to experience the same level of long-term abandonment seen with WWII airfields, primarily due to strict new provincial regulations requiring reclamation security and end-of-life management for renewable infrastructure. Starting in 2025, every wind and solar project must register with the province and provide substantial financial security up front to ensure equipment is removed and sites are reclaimed, either when projects end or if companies fail.mltaikins+4

Reclamation and Decommissioning

• Operators are now legally required to dismantle turbines, panels, and all associated infrastructure, restoring the land to a pre-development state or as agreed with landowners.alberta+2

• The reclamation security approach is modeled to avoid the “orphan infrastructure” problem seen in Alberta’s oil and gas sector, aiming to ensure the province and landowners aren’t left with abandoned assets.osler+2

• Alberta’s requirements are among the most stringent, requiring the full cost of decommissioning (without deducting salvage value) to be secured in advance.pvbuzz+1

Equipment Waste and Recycling

• By 2050, large volumes of wind and solar waste are expected, and while most materials are technically recyclable, recycling is logistically difficult and sometimes cost-prohibitive, so some expired equipment may be stockpiled or sent to landfill if recycling systems don’t improve.cbc+2

• Provincial and industry groups are working to enhance recycling solutions, but infrastructure remains in its infancy.alberta+1

Project Cancellations and Policy Shifts

• Alberta’s tough regulatory environment has already led to substantial cancellations and slowdowns in new wind and solar projects, with hundreds of megawatts withdrawn in recent years.pembina+1

• New “buffer zones” and land restrictions further limit potential locations, making future “stranded” infrastructure on large scales less likely.energi+1

Overall, past experiences with abandoned military and industrial sites have informed Alberta’s renewable regulations, making widespread littering of wind and solar farm infrastructure unlikely but not impossible, especially if recycling markets don’t catch up with eventual decommissioning needs.mltaikins+2

1. https://www.mltaikins.com/insights/updates-to-reclamation-security-requirements-for-wind-and-solar-energy-projects-in-alberta/
2. https://www.osler.com/en/insights/updates/alberta-codifies-renewable-energy-policy-objectives-new-regulations/
3. https://www.alberta.ca/system/files/eps-fact-sheet-reclamation-security-solar-and-wind-renewable-energy-operations.pdf
4. https://www.alberta.ca/land-conservation-and-reclamation-guidelines-for-renewable-energy-operations
5. https://pvbuzz.com/alberta-new-reclamation-rules/
6. https://businessrenewables.ca/resource/renewable-energys-distinct-reclamation-path
7. https://www.nationalobserver.com/2023/04/12/opinion/orphan-solar-risk-or-red-herring
8. https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/these-busted-solar-panels-are-an-early-example-of-a-looming-problem-and-an-opportunity-1.7349406
9. https://renewablesassociation.ca/wp-content/uploads/2025/01/CanREA-factsheet-Recycling-wind-turbine-components.pdf
10. https://www.alberta.ca/solar-panel-reuse-and-recycling-engagement
11. https://www.pembina.org/media-release/renewable-energy-project-cancellations-alberta-hit-alarming-milestone
12. https://energi.media/news/alberta-wind-farm-cancelled-three-other-projects-shelved-as-pristine-viewscapes-ruling-bites/
13. https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/alberta-new-rules-renewable-energy-wind-solar-1.7404024
14. https://www.thealbertan.com/beyond-local/its-not-us-anymore-renewables-go-from-boom-to-bust-in-the-wind-capital-of-canada-11275614
15. https://albertawilderness.ca/reports/how-much-of-alberta-is-left-for-renewable-energy/
16. https://thenarwhal.ca/restructured-energy-alberta-investment/
17. https://pipelineonline.ca/alberta-government-proposing-additional-restrictions-on-wind-and-solar-energy/
18. https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/renewable-energy-oil-sector-regulations-1.7407920
19. https://environmentaldefence.ca/2025/01/09/in-alberta-you-dont-need-a-weatherman-to-know-which-way-the-wind-blows/
20. https://thenarwhal.ca/alberta-wind-energy-renewables-opposition/

You assume that this will happen in spite of what has happened with abandoned oil and gas wells

Strict new Alberta regulations for wind and solar reclamation are specifically designed to avoid repeating the problems seen with abandoned oil and gas wells, but there is still skepticism that these measures will fully succeed in practice. Critics point out that, despite similar up-front security requirements for oil and gas, Alberta ended up with a massive orphan well liability due to lax enforcement, company bankruptcies, and insufficient security funds held by regulators.mltaikins+2

Key Differences and Ongoing Risks

• The province now explicitly requires wind and solar operators to post the entire estimated reclamation cost up-front, not just a fraction, which is stricter than historic oil and gas rules.alberta+1

• Regulators claim these funds will ensure full clean-up regardless of ownership changes or bankruptcies.mltaikins

• However, security can be underestimated or eroded by inflation, project failures, or regulatory loopholes—similar to what happened in the oil sector. This raises concerns about whether wind and solar sites could eventually face abandonment, especially if industry economics shift or regulator oversight weakens.nationalobserver+2

Industry and Legal Watchpoints

• The renewable sector is newer and less financially entrenched than oil and gas, so prolonged market downturns or policy reversals could threaten compliance over decades.nationalobserver+1

• Environmental groups and policy analysts regularly warn that even strict rules can falter without vigilance, robust enforcement, and flexible long-term planning to account for unforeseen risks.businessrenewables+1

In summary, Alberta’s approach with wind and solar tries to avoid the abandoned oil and gas well scenario, but whether this will work in the long term is still an open question among policy experts. Regulatory diligence, ongoing enforcement, and robust security mechanisms will be essential to prevent future abandonment issues.businessrenewables+2

1. https://www.mltaikins.com/insights/updates-to-reclamation-security-requirements-for-wind-and-solar-energy-projects-in-alberta/
2. https://www.alberta.ca/system/files/eps-fact-sheet-reclamation-security-solar-and-wind-renewable-energy-operations.pdf
3. https://www.nationalobserver.com/2023/04/12/opinion/orphan-solar-risk-or-red-herring
4. https://businessrenewables.ca/resource/renewable-energys-distinct-reclamation-path