Stephenville airport shuttered as power company pulls the plug

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.

• CBC INVESTIGATES | He has a $500M plan for an N.L. airport. But his companies and finances have faced turbulence

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

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.

Download our free CBC News app to sign up for push alerts for CBC Newfoundland and Labrador. Sign up for our daily headlines newsletter here. Click here to visit our landing page.