Eleven kilometres west of Strathmore, on 1,500 acres of Wheatland County farmland, Canada's aircraft industry is being rebuilt from the ground up.
De Havilland Canada broke ground on De Havilland Field on May 15, 2026 the largest private aviation investment in Alberta's history, according to the provincial government. The ceremony brought together federal and provincial officials, Wheatland County leadership, and De Havilland employees, with multiple De Havilland aircraft arriving at the site to mark the occasion.
"We're beginning a new chapter the next 100 years in De Havilland history," said Sherry Brydson, owner of De Havilland Canada, speaking to the crowd gathered on what will become the company's main factory floor. "The first thing that's going to be here is the parts manufacturing and the warehouse and distribution centre."
What Is De Havilland Field?
De Havilland Field will be a full aerospace campus not just a factory. Plans include an aerodrome, parts manufacturing and distribution facilities, final assembly lines, research and development space, an education and training centre, and a De Havilland Canada aviation museum. A dedicated defence facility is also planned.
The site will house final assembly lines for three aircraft: the DHC-515 Firefighter waterbomber, the DHC-6 Twin Otter, and the Dash 8-400 regional turboprop. De Havilland's current Twin Otter assembly line is located within Calgary International Airport that operation moves to De Havilland Field once the campus is built.
By 2030, De Havilland aims to be running parts distribution, parts manufacturing, and final assembly operations at the site.
The Waterbomber Connection
In February 2026, the Alberta government signed a $400-million contract with De Havilland Canada for five DHC-515 Firefighter aircraft the first customer order for the type. The first aircraft is expected to be delivered to the province by spring 2031.
The DHC-515 is the successor to the Canadair CL-415, the iconic scooping waterbomber that has been fighting fires across Canada for decades. Alberta currently operates a fleet of four CL-215 aircraft built between 1986 and 1988. The five new DHC-515s will be nearly 60 per cent more drop capacity added to that fleet. The aircraft can reach 330 km/h about 15 per cent faster than the CL-215 and fill its 6,137-litre tanks within 12 seconds of touching the water surface.
Forestry and Parks Minister Todd Loewen put it plainly at the groundbreaking: "The planes protecting our forests and communities will be built by Albertans, for Albertans."
What This Means for Wheatland County
Wheatland County sits east of Rocky View County, just beyond the Calgary commuter belt. Strathmore is its largest community, with about 14,000 people. The county has been positioning itself as an industrial and logistics hub, but De Havilland Field is a different scale entirely.
Wheatland County Reeve Scott Klassen said the investment will have lasting effects beyond construction. "In the short term, it will generate jobs through construction activity," he said at the ceremony. "De Havilland's decision to locate here in Wheatland County is significant. It strengthens our role in Canada's aviation and manufacturing sector, and reinforces that Wheatland County is well positioned for opportunities like this."
The province says De Havilland Field could support up to 3,000 permanent jobs once fully operational in a county with a population of roughly 25,000 people.
A Company Rebuilding Its Own History
De Havilland Canada has been in the aircraft business since 1928, originally as a subsidiary of the British de Havilland Aircraft Company. It is 100 per cent Canadian owned, with an 80 per cent Canadian-based supply chain. The company currently employs about 2,100 people.
CEO Brian Chafe framed the groundbreaking in terms that go beyond a real estate decision. "Today's groundbreaking is about far more than a new facility it is about building sovereign capability in Canadian aerospace, manufacturing, service support, and training," he said. "De Havilland is truly Canada's aerospace company, and we are proud to be building in Alberta."
SOURCES:
De Havilland Canada — Official groundbreaking news release, May 15, 2026 (dehavilland.com)
Government of Alberta — De Havilland Field groundbreaking statement, May 15, 2026
Alberta Major Projects — De Havilland Field Aircraft Manufacturing and Operations Centre (majorprojects.alberta.ca)
Alberta government — DHC-515 waterbomber contract announcement, February 17, 2026
