They've cooked up a different way to run an airport in northern Alberta - they've gone condo.

At the Cooking Lake Airport - the only facility in the province with both a floatplane base and a conventional runway - the traditional model of running an airport has taken a backseat. Instead, the undertaking is described as the only airport in Canada operating with a condominium ownership structure.

Primarily a recreational flying facility for floatplanes and small aircraft, Cooking Lake Airport has one paved runway, two floatplane launch ramps, 20 floating docks, approximately 25,000 annual aircraft movements and an economic impact to the surrounding area of $13 million.

Located 20 kilometres east of Edmonton in Strathcona County, it also includes 74 condo hangar lots, 66 hangars and 75 tie-down stalls with power.

Photo illustration courtesy of Edmonton Airports
A concept of planned expansion of the Cooking Lake Airport, 20 km east of Edmonton.

And while the bare-land condominium aspect that makes the airport unique has been in operation for more than 10 years, the model is working so well that expansion is on the drawing board.

"The intention is to bring additional lots on because as we understand, there is fair demand for those lots," says Andy Shanks, manager of general aviation services for Edmonton Airports, which manages and operates the Cooking Lake airport in addition to Edmonton International, City Centre and Villeneuve airports.

"We've been talking about this for quite some time now and have identified the area and what the plan might look like."

However, a timeline for the proposed expansion has not been finalized - despite the fact that all existing condo property is accounted for.

"If there was space, we could sell more condos. We've got tons of people who would want to build out here," says Cooking Lake Condominium Association president Steven Blue.

"Selling a hangar (on the condominium property) out there is really easy because demand outstrips supply," adds Jim Johannsson, a senior manager in the telecommunications field and a condo association member who flies his own Cessna for recreational purposes and occasionally on business.

"All you have to do is tell a few folks and word will get around. Or just put a notice on the bulletin board in the terminal and it will sell very quickly."

That overall demand is being fuelled by a strong economy and an interest in recreational aviation by business owners, professionals and retired people.

"The economy is generating a lot of cash and a lot of folks can afford these things," says Shanks.

There are more than 70 members of the Cooking Lake Condominium Association, which is comprised of the owners of the hangar lots. Members pay an annual fee to the condo association to cover condominium common property upkeep and upgrades, as well as funding the organization's reserve fund, an access fee to Edmonton Airports and property taxes to Strathcona County.

"When Edmonton Airports purchased the (Cooking Lake) airport, there was a very strong feeling among the tenants that they wanted to own their property," says Shanks.

By opting for this unique arrangement, Edmonton Airports generated a substantial amount of cash that has gone into a capital reserve fund and is used for Cooking Lake airport purposes. At the same time, Edmonton Airports retains full control over the non-condo portions of the facility.

"The tenants at the time (before the Edmonton Airports purchase) were leasing their lots from Alberta Transportation and they had a keen interest in purchasing those lots," says Shanks. "In order to provide them that opportunity, we created a bare-land condominium - it provides the same sort of arrangement as in a conventional condominium and falls under provincial condominium legislation."

Orville Hewitt, president and chief flight instructor of the Cooking Lake Aviation Academy Inc., was one of the first to take advantage of the opportunity.

"I thought it was a step forward for general aviation," says Hewitt. "The property has more than tripled in value since I purchased it. I made additional investments because I own the property. I've improved the facilities considerably since I've been here. Now it's become an investment whereas before, you were just leasing."

Hewitt, who trains both career and recreational flyers, has been in aviation for 33 years. Graduates of his academy can be found flying for Air Canada, WestJet, United, Delta and other major air carriers.

Johannsson, who flies his Cessna once or twice a week when the weather is good, agrees that the condo model works well.

"The condominium arrangement at a public airport such as Cooking Lake Airport is truly innovative in Canada," says Johannsson.

"Operation of the airport is the responsibility of the Edmonton Airports but a superb working relationship with Edmonton Airports means that the members of the condominium are actively involved in directing the maintenance standards and the future direction of the airport."

Ownership, adds Blue, has its privileges.

"With the (condominium) board made up of elected members, owners have the added benefit of having people to help look after their best interests," he says.

"Those interests would be making sure that you have eyes and ears monitoring anything happening within the county (of Strathcona) with regards to zoning or development or anything like that, as well as monitoring water lake levels - and water lake levels are important because it's a floatplane base."

(Laura Severs can be reached at laura@businessedge.ca)