Region of Waterloo International Airport celebrates 75th anniversary

Hundreds lined up outside the Region of Waterloo International Airport (YKF) on Saturday morning to help celebrate the airport’s 75th anniversary.

Hundreds lined up outside the Region of Waterloo International Airport (YKF) on Saturday morning — not to catch a flight, but to help celebrate the airport’s 75th anniversary.

The airport paused flights midday to host a free open house for the public. The event gave attendees an opportunity to get an up-close look at various aircraft, explore historical memorabilia and view art on display throughout the terminal.

“The airport’s been here since 1950 and we’re thrilled with the turnout. Couldn’t be a nicer day today,” said Chris Wood, airport director at YKF. “We had lineups, about an hour and a half early but we were [also] out getting ready early this morning.”

Among the visitors was Christian Palileo, who recently moved to the region from the Philippines. Palileo, a licensed aircraft engineer, plans to study aircraft maintenance at Mohawk College in Hamilton starting in September.

“I saw this event on Facebook and I love airplanes,” said Palileo. “And actually, I’m a licensed aircraft engineer in the Philippines and wanted to see how the aircraft stuff kind of looked like in Canada.”

While YKF has undergone many changes over the years, one of the more significant recent upgrades came in 2022, when the airport expanded its terminal building to add more departure and arrival space.

“I think this airport’s changed a lot and we wanted people to be able to come out and see it that don’t necessarily get a chance to fly through the airport,” said Wood. “A lot of people really love the work that’s been done and [they] got to see some of the artwork and meet with some of the artists.”

Gordon Millar, flight captain for COPA Flight 26, said he learned to fly at YKF in 1989.

“It was always a childhood dream of mine to become a pilot,” said Millar. “...Probably my most memorable memory would be my first solo… it was here and then I had to get the plane back down myself and everything went fine and I’m [still] here to [talk] about it. It’s a memory that I’ll definitely remember for the rest of my life.”

History of YKF

The Region of Waterloo International Airport first opened in 1950. Before that, the Kitchener-Waterloo Airport — also known as Lexington Airport — operated at Lexington Field in Waterloo, primarily for flight training. The current site was purchased from eight local farmers in 1949. The municipalities of Kitchener, Guelph, Galt, Waterloo and the Town of Preston jointly acquired 640 acres at a cost of $71,170, according to the airport’s website.

“We got to celebrate what our accomplishments are in this region and how much this airport has done for the region,” said Millar. “Lots of things would not have happened if it wasn’t for this airport being here… the Perimeter Institute and the universities in this area and a lot of the businesses, they probably wouldn’t be here without the support… so, it’s a good thing to celebrate.”