NL

Stephenville airport shuttered as power company pulls the plug

It’s lights out at the Stephenville Dymond International Airport, as Newfoundland Power confirmed that work is underway to disconnect electrical service at the facility.

Owner Carl Dymond says disconnection is only temporary

A man in a blue jacket speaks into a microphone while facing to the left with a logo in the background.
Carl Dymond of the Dymond Group of Companies speaks at a press conference in Stephenville on Sept. 9, 2021. Dymond announced plans to acquire the airport in the western Newfoundland town. The deal went through in August 2023. (Troy Turner/CBC)

It's lights out at the Stephenville Dymond International Airport.

Newfoundland Power confirmed Tuesday afternoon that work was underway to disconnect electrical service there. 

An aviation notice, called a NOTAM, was released at 4:07 p.m. NT saying the airport was closed. It will be in effect until June 9, at least.

Last week, Newfoundland Power told CBC News it issued a seven-day notice to pull the plug due to what it called "outstanding account issues." 

The airport has struggled financially for decades.

Ottawa businessman Carl Dymond purchased the operation in 2023 with big promises to turn things around. They included pledges to spend hundreds of millions of dollars, create thousands of jobs, return passenger service and build gigantic, futuristic drones. 

None of those plans came to fruition.

Instead, the airport experienced operational setbacks and found itself in legal and financial trouble.

Power crews work on a pole behind a fence.
Newfoundland Power confirmed Tuesday afternoon that work had begun to disconnect service at Stephenville Dymond International Airport. This photo, taken at the airport around 3 p.m. NT, shows crews on site. (Submitted by Lenny Tiller)

Those woes include a $2.4-million lawsuit over the installation of a new runway lighting system. A trial is set for 2026.

An investor who helped facilitate Dymond's acquisition of the airport won a default $2-million judgment against Dymond personally.

Stephenville town council is also looking to collect on a half-million-dollar property tax bill.

Earlier this year, the airport was downgraded to a "registered aerodrome," which means it's not subject to ongoing inspection by Transport Canada, but is inspected periodically to verify compliance with regulations.

When contacted Tuesday, Dymond declined to do an interview. In a text message, he said he expected the power shutoff to only last a few days.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Troy Turner

Reporter

Troy Turner has been working as a journalist throughout Newfoundland and Labrador since 1992. He's currently based in central Newfoundland. Fire off your story ideas to troy.turner@cbc.ca.