Discover the history of Gilles-Beaudet Airport, from its origins in the 1960s to its current municipal management, including its builders and major stages of development.
The history of Gilles-Beaudet Airport dates back to the 1960s, when legend has it that a farmer named Léo Chicoine built a landing strip on his property in Saint-Mathieu-de-Beloeil. This modest beginning coincided with major changes in the area, including the partial expropriation of land for the construction of the Trans-Canada Highway in 1962.
In 1965, an initial lease was signed with Les Ailes de Beloeil for the development of a runway on Lot 245, but this agreement ended three years later. The municipality then began to play a more active role in land use planning, notably through the creation of Rue de l’Aéroport and subdivision agreements. In 1982, Léo Chicoine’s estate sold the land to a private group, but the lot intended for the aerodrome was transferred to the municipality, marking a turning point in its history.
In December of the same year, the municipality founded the Saint-Mathieu-de-Beloeil Airport Corporation, a non-profit organization responsible for managing and developing the facilities. In the summer of 1983, work began on the construction of an asphalt runway equipped with night lighting. Fully subsidized by the federal government, this project was inaugurated in October of the same year, marking the official birth of the aerodrome as we know it today.
The construction of hangars began west of the runway, contributing to the growth of the sector. In 1989, the Corporation was dissolved, and the Municipality took over the management of the airport with its own employees.
In June 1993, the Corporation was relaunched under the leadership of Gilles Beaudet, Michel Trudeau, and Marcel Brouard. A new management agreement was signed, and participation was extended to all owners on Airport Road. This shared governance marked a new phase of development.
Over the years, the aerodrome has become an important economic driver for the municipality. Authorization from the Commission de protection du territoire agricole du Québec (Quebec Agricultural Land Protection Commission) to develop the area east of the runway, obtained in 2015, paved the way for new developments. Starting in 2018, new infrastructure was built, including Chicoine Street and the first hangars east of the runway.
On December 14, 2020, in tribute to one of its most influential builders, the municipal council officially adopted the name change of the aerodrome to “Gilles-Beaudet Airport.” This decision pays tribute to the late Gilles Beaudet, astrophysicist, professor at the University of Montreal, co-founder of the Mont-Mégantic Observatory, and mayor of Saint-Mathieu-de-Beloeil from 1997 to 2005. As founding president of the Airport Corporation in 1982, Mr. Beaudet played a central role in the development of the current runway, which remains a vital part of the local airport infrastructure to this day.
On January 1, 2025, the municipality, which still owns the infrastructure, officially resumed full management of the aerodrome. Thanks to the expertise of the aerodrome’s general manager, Sylvain De Montigny, it continues to work to ensure the sustainable prosperity of this strategic asset, while promoting its harmonious integration into the community.
