Page 14 - Reaching New Heights - Vol 6

1992 - 2022: The Growth of Southport
Cheers to 30 Years!
Southport Aerospace Centre Inc. (Southport Aerospace), and the community of Southport itself, plays a pivotal role in
the Central Plains Region of Manitoba and has done so for the past 30 years. Southport is home to over 200
tenants, as well as the Southport Airport CYPG - a Transport Canada approved public use airport. Southport offers a
modern-day campus, a business centre, quality accommodations, countless recreation facilities, and a thriving
community. Southport has a rich history rooted in the Canadian military and a future bright with opportunity and
development!
1940s - 1990s: Southport in the Beginning
Southport’s history dates back to the 1940s when the No. 14 Elementary
Flying Training School – a part of the British Commonwealth Air Training
Plan – opened its doors. Over a decade later in 1952, the Royal Canadian
Air Force (RCAF) reactivated the RCAF Station Portage la Prairie and
operated the No. 2 Advanced Flying School in Southport to train RCAF and
NATO pilots. In the late 1960s, the station was renamed Canadian Forces
Base (CFB) Portage la Prairie.
In the spring of 1989, the Federal Government announced CFB Portage la
Prairie would be closing due to budget cuts in the Departments of National
Defence. These budget cuts meant that the military flight contract would be
contracted out to civilian agencies. Aware of the negative economic impacts Canadian Armed Forces helicopters, including
of the Federal Government’s decision, the City of Portage la Prairie and the the Hiller and Kiowa, in formation over CFP
province rallied together and formed a community-based committee whose Portage la Prairie in the spring of 1972.
mandate was to raise awareness, advocate, and lobby to stress the (Courtesy of the Canadian Forces Photographic
importance of the base to the local and provincial economies. The Unit Central Negative Library)
committee, called ‘Save the Base’, delivered economic impact reports and
maintained a strong media presence to keep pressure on the Government in an effort to keep flight training in
Southport. Thanks to the successful lobbying efforts and media attention brought on by ‘Save the Base’ and others,
the Federal Government, through Western Economic Development, announced the formation of a local corporation
to take over the assets of CFB Portage la Prairie. In September 1990, the Federal Government announced that CFB
Portage la Prairie, after privatization, would be an ideal site for many elements of flight training to continue. The
not-for-profit corporation would be called Southport Aerospace Centre Inc.
14 | Southport: Reaching New Heights
Southport Aerospace Centre Inc. – a non-profit, non-share property management and development company - was
established in September 1992, as a result of the ‘Save the Base’ committee’s efforts. Military flight training continued
at Southport after the transition from CFB Portage la Prairie through the 3 Canadian Forces Flying Training School
(3CFFTS), which was supported by Bombardier until 2005 and currently, by Allied Wings (now known as KF
Aerospace). Supporting the military flight contract and the subsequent facilities, programs, and services the contract
relies on was and still is an integral part of Southport Aerospace’s role within the community, but it’s just the beginning!
Southport Aerospace has a diversified commercial tenant base on-site, which includes:
● Health administration
● Education and training
● Manufacturing
● Addictions counselling
● Childcare
● Aircraft storage
With the arrival of new commercial businesses and residential tenants in the community, Southport Aerospace
continues to invest in the future of the site with the development of new and renovated infrastructure, and the active
management of the company’s carbon footprint and greenhouse gas emissions through Radicle Climate Smart
initiatives. With a wide variety of recreational amenities, as well as accommodations available on-site, Southport is not
only an ideal community to work and live in, but also to play!
Cheers to the Next 30 Years!
The future of Southport is filled with endless opportunities, new partnerships, and exciting new development that will
benefit the socio-economic environment of the Central Plains Region and the province of Manitoba as a whole. The
community of Southport has grown exponentially over the past 30 years and the next 30 are looking bigger and
brighter than ever!
Southport Aerospace’s Board of Directors, staff, commercial
tenants as well as members of the community, commemorated
Southport’s 30 anniversary at a celebration held in Hangar 5
th
on September 8, 2022. A beautifully refurbished CT-134
Musketeer aircraft was unveiled at the celebration ahead of
being mounted on a pedestal near the entrance of Southport.
15 | Southport: Reaching New Heights