Owen Sound City Council voted in favour of beginning the process to divest or sell land known as the Billy Bishop Regional Airport with the hope that a new owner will continue to operate the site as an airport.
The Owen Sound Billy Bishop Regional Airport (CYOS) was constructed in 1991 and has been operating since 1993. The airport property covers approximately 263 acres and is located five kilometres east of Owen Sound in the Municipality of Meaford.
Over time the needs of a municipality change and services are reviewed to address financial restraints and efficiencies. The City has been running CYOS for the past 28 years and Council has decided that the aviation community would be better served if the Billy Bishop Regional Airport was privately owned.
Staff will begin the process to divest or reassign the responsibilities of CYOS starting with providing notice and inviting public comment for a future report to Council in 2021.
For more information, please contact Tim Simmonds, City Manager, at 519-376-4440 ext. 1210 or email to tsimmonds@owensound.ca
“Owning and operating an airport is not a business that we can maintain any longer,” said Mayor Boddy. “One of Council’s corporate priorities is ‘Clear Direction’ and Council and staff believe that the community would be better served if the City divested the asset to another party,” said Owen Sound Mayor Ian Boddy.
