Sarnia Airport Municipal Service Corporation

The City is receiving comments on the business case for the formulation of a Municipal Services Corporation to manage the Sarnia Chris Hadfield Airport’s future administration, governance, and operations.

Please read the background information below before providing your input at the bottom of this page.

Background

In 1997, the City of Sarnia became the owner of the Sarnia Airport, located at 1500 Airport Road. The Airport had previously been owned by the federal government and was operated under contract by Scottsdale Aviation. Scottsdale continued operating the airport after the City took ownership and continues to operate it today.

Passenger service at the Airport ceased in 2020 following the onset of the COVID-19 Pandemic, resulting in a significant loss of revenue. The City of Sarnia has funded the operations of the airport since 2021.

The operating agreement with Scottsdale is approaching expiration in in 2027. Sarnia City Council made the decision to proceed down a path of long-term investment and involvement in the airport as of February 2025. The City then engaged Explorer Solutions to make recommendations with respect to the best model for future governance, administrations, operations, and funding of the airport.

In June 2025, Sarnia City Council directed Staff to proceed with the steps required to establish a Municipal Services Corporation (MSC) based on the recommended model presented for the future of the airport.

What is an MSC

A MSC is a corporation created by a municipality, and owned by the municipality, to manage specific services or assets – like an airport.

For the Sarnia Chris Hadfield Airport, an MSC would allow the airport to operate with a level of independence and with enough flexibility to make business decisions efficiently, similar to how a private company operates. The Airport would be governed by a Board of Directors, with some powers delegated to an Airport Chief Executive Officer (CEO). The Municipality would retain ownership of the airport and airport lands, and would appoint members of the Board. Certain financial decisions will also continue to be made by the City and annual reporting requirements on Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) will come to Council

By launching the MSC, the City of Sarnia will:

• Protect and enhance a critical public asset while improving cost-efficiency.
• Lay the groundwork for private investment and land development opportunities at the airport
• Create a specialized governance model that supports growth while remaining publicly accountable.
• Demonstrate leadership in airport innovation and regional economic stewardship.

Future updates regarding the establishment of the MSC will continue to advance through reports to Sarnia City Council.

Goals of the MSC

The goal of establishing an MSC is to unlock YZR’s full potential as a self-sustaining, strategically-governed transportation and economic asset. Establishing an MSC enables:

• Local accountability with a focused, mission-driven governance structure that maintains alignment with municipal priorities.
• Financial sustainability through a business-oriented model capable of generating revenue, attracting private investment, and pursuing grant funding.
• Operational agility as an organization equipped to make timely decisions, manage leases, and foster partnerships while maintaining regulatory compliance.
• Economic development as a more effective vehicle to support commercial growth, infrastructure development, and aviation innovation in Sarnia and Lambton County.

Board of Directors

The business case proposes a Board of Directors comprised of five to seven (5-7) members with demonstrated experience and knowledge in:

• airport operations
• business operations
• finance
• legislation and governance
• community perspective
• real estate development
• investments
• strategic oversight

The responsibilities of the Board include:

• Strategic direction
• Financial oversight
• Governance
• Risk management
• Airport CEO oversight
• Performance monitoring
• Stakeholder engagement

More information regarding the composition of the Board can be found starting on page 11 of the Sarnia Chris Hadfield Municipal Services Corporation Implementation Plan: Part 2 Report.

MSC Timeline

The City has targeted a timeline of June 30, 2027 to transition operations of the airport to the MSC, which aligns with the natural expiry of the current operating agreement with Scottsdale Aviation.

Key milestones includes:

• Winter to spring 2026 - Governance and legal preparations
• Fall 2026 – Board recruitment
• Fall 2026 to winter 2027 – Administrative structure design
• Spring to summer 2027 – Funding and revenue strategy
• Winter 2027 to June 2027 – Operational planning and transition

Learn More

To learn more, please consult the business case documents located in the documents widget on the right-hand side of this page. The business case includes the following two reports:

• Operating, Administration, Funding, and Governance Analysis, Recommendations, and Implementation Plan: Part 1 Report
• Municipal Services Corporation Implementation Plan: Part 2 Report

Provide your input

Public input is open until 4:30 p.m. on Tuesday, January 6, 2026. The feedback received will be summarized to protect personal information and the identity of participants and will be shared publicly at the January 19, 2026 meeting of Sarnia City Council.

To provide your input, please complete the short survey below.