List of the busiest airports in Canada
2012 -- Canada 's 20 busiest airports by freight
Table:
Rank
Airport[133]
Serves
Total
(tonnes)
Annual
change

1
Toronto Pearson International Airport
Greater Toronto Area
345,825.5
0.4%

2
Vancouver International Airport
Metro Vancouver
193,352.7
1.5%

3
John C. Munro Hamilton International Airport
Hamilton
89,563.1
4.9%

4
Calgary International Airport
Calgary
81,828.4
-2.0%

5
Montréal–Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport
Greater Montreal
78,555.4
2.1%

6
Montréal–Mirabel International Airport
Montreal
69,826.9
4.3%

7
Winnipeg James Armstrong Richardson International Airport
Winnipeg
68,607.7
5.1%

8
Halifax Stanfield International Airport
Halifax
30,070.1
17.7%

9
Edmonton International Airport
Edmonton Capital Region
25,557.7
11.3%

10
Greater Moncton International Airport
Moncton
25,283.1
6.5%

11
Ottawa Macdonald–Cartier International Airport
Ottawa
10,570.3
2.7%

12
St. John's International Airport
St. John's
10,514.5
18.5%

13
Saskatoon John G. Diefenbaker International Airport
Saskatoon
5,740.0
17.2%

14
Victoria International Airport
Victoria
4,188.7
-7.8%

15
Kelowna International Airport
Kelowna
2,713.9
-1.9%

16
Québec City Jean Lesage International Airport
Quebec City
2,219.9
40.0%

17
Thunder Bay International Airport
Thunder Bay
1,844.3
-1.2%

18
Yellowknife Airport
Yellowknife
1,793.8
95.0%

19
Prince George Airport
Prince George
1,092.7
-21.5%

20
Fort McMurray International Airport
Fort McMurray
600.1
6.7%

Leveraging the accompanying table plus the article excerpts provided.

Respond to the question below: What is the name of the airport that serves the city sometimes called the `` Spruce Capital '' ? Return your answer as JSON: {"answer": "YOUR ANSWER"}.

Lester B. Pearson International Airport ( IATA : YYZ , ICAO : CYYZ ) , branded as Toronto Pearson International Airport ( simply known as Toronto Pearson , Pearson Airport or Pearson ) , is the primary international airport serving Toronto , its metropolitan area , and its surrounding region known as the Golden Horseshoe . It is the largest and busiest airport in Canada , the second-busiest international air passenger gateway in the Americas , and the 30th-busiest airport in the world by passenger traffic , handling 49.5 million passengers in 2018 . The airport is named in honour of Lester B. Pearson , Nobel Peace Prize laureate and 14th Prime Minister of Canada . Toronto Pearson is located 22.5 kilometres ( 14.0 mi ) northwest of Downtown Toronto with the majority of the airport situated in the city of Mississauga and a small portion of the airfield extending into Toronto 's western district of Etobicoke . It features five runways and two passenger terminals along with numerous cargo and maintenance facilities on a site that covers 1,867 hectares ( 4,613 acres ) . Pearson Airport is the primary hub for Air Canada . It also serves as a hub for WestJet , cargo airline FedEx Express , and as a base of operations for Air Transat and Sunwing Airlines . Pearson is operated by the Greater Toronto Airports Authority ( GTAA ) as part of Transport Canada 's National Airports System , and is the largest airport in the world with facilities for United States border preclearance . An extensive network of non-stop domestic flights is operated from Toronto Pearson by several airlines to all major and many secondary cities across all provinces of Canada . As of 2019 , over 75 airlines operate around 1,250 daily departures from the airport to more than 180 destinations across all six of the world 's inhabited continents .
The Greater Toronto Area ( GTA ) is the most populous metropolitan area in Canada . It consists of the central city , Toronto , along with 25 surrounding suburbs , distributed among four regional municipalities : Durham , Halton , Peel , and York . The southwestern periphery of the Greater Toronto Area begins in Burlington , and extends along Lake Ontario past Downtown Toronto to Clarington , the eastern end . The northern periphery is made up of several municipalities , although Brock is the northernmost . The Greater Toronto Area combined with the city of Hamilton , located west of Halton Region , forms the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area ( GTHA ) . The Greater Toronto Area anchors a much larger urban agglomeration known as the Golden Horseshoe . According to the 2016 census , the Greater Toronto Area has a population of 6,417,516 .
Vancouver International Airport ( IATA : YVR , ICAO : CYVR ) is an international airport in Richmond , British Columbia . It is the primary international airport serving Vancouver , about 12 km ( 7.5 mi ) from Downtown Vancouver . It is the second busiest airport in Canada by aircraft movements ( 306,799 ) and passengers ( 25.9 million ) , behind Toronto Pearson International Airport . It is often described as a trans-Pacific hub , with more direct flights to China than any other airport in North America or Europe . It is a hub for Air Canada and WestJet , and an operating base for Air Transat . Vancouver International Airport is one of eight Canadian airports that have US Border Preclearance facilities . It is also one of the few major international airports to have a terminal for scheduled floatplanes . The airport has won several notable international best airport awards . It won the Skytrax Best North American Airport award in 2007 and 2010 through 2019 , for a record 10 consecutive years . The airport also made the list of top 10 airports in the world for the first time in 2012 , rated at 9th ( 2012 ) , 8th ( 2013 ) , and 9th ( 2014 ) overall . It is the only North American airport included in the top 10 for 2013 and 2014 . YVR also retains the distinction of Best Canadian Airport in the regional results .
Metro Vancouver is a political body and corporate entity designated by provincial legislation as one of the regional districts in British Columbia , Canada . The official legal name is the Metro Vancouver Regional District ( MVRD ) . The organization was known as the Regional District of Fraser-Burrard for nearly one year upon incorporating in 1967 , and as the Greater Vancouver Regional District ( GVRD ) from 1968 to 2017 . The MVRD is under the direction of 23 local authorities ; it delivers regional services , sets policy and acts as a political forum . The regional district 's most populous city is Vancouver , and Metro Vancouver 's administrative offices are located in the City of Burnaby . The MVRD 's boundaries match those of the Vancouver census metropolitan area ( CMA ) as identified by Statistics Canada .
John C. Munro Hamilton International Airport ( IATA : YHM , ICAO : CYHM ) is an international airport in Hamilton , Ontario , Canada . The airport is part of the neighbourhood of Mount Hope , 6 nautical miles ( 11 km ; 6.9 mi ) southwest of Downtown Hamilton and 64 km ( 40 mi ) southwest of Toronto . The airport serves the city of Hamilton and adjacent areas of Southern Ontario , including the Greater Toronto Area . The airport is sometimes considered as a reliever for Toronto Pearson International Airport . The airport opened in 1940 as Mount Hope Airport , which was primarily a Royal Canadian Air Force base . The end of World War II saw the closure of the base , and its conversion to civil use attracted regional and international passenger services with connections to major Canadian cities and seasonal destinations in the United States , the Caribbean and Mexico . Regular services to the United States declined as nearby Buffalo Niagara International Airport gained popularity for cross-border travellers in the region , but Hamilton remained an important base for a number of domestic low-cost carriers . Hamilton is designed for use by large airplanes on overseas flights , and includes a 10,006 ft × 200 ft ( 3,050 m × 61 m ) asphalt runway with centreline lighting for low-visibility operations , and a smaller 6,010 ft × 150 ft ( 1,832 m × 46 m ) asphalt runway . It is classified as an airport of entry by Nav Canada and is staffed by the Canada Border Services Agency ( CBSA ) . As Canada 's largest overnight express cargo airport , Hamilton handles large cargo operations with aircraft such as the Boeing 747 or Antonov An-124 . The Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum is located adjacent to the airport .
Hamilton is a port city in the Canadian province of Ontario . An industrialized city in the Golden Horseshoe at the west end of Lake Ontario , Hamilton has a population of 536,917 , and its census metropolitan area , which includes Burlington and Grimsby , has a population of 747,545 . The city is 58 kilometres ( 36 mi ) southwest of Toronto , with which the Greater Toronto and Hamilton Area ( GTHA ) is formed . On January 1 , 2001 , the current boundaries of Hamilton were created through the amalgamation of the original city with other municipalities of the Regional Municipality of Hamilton-Wentworth . Residents of the city are known as Hamiltonians . Since 1981 , the metropolitan area has been listed as the ninth largest in Canada and the third largest in Ontario . Hamilton is home to the Royal Botanical Gardens , the Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum , the Bruce Trail , McMaster University , Redeemer University College and Mohawk College . McMaster University is ranked 4th in Canada and 77th in the world by Times Higher Education Rankings 2018-19 .
Calgary International Airport ( IATA : YYC , ICAO : CYYC ) , branded as YYC Calgary International Airport , is an international airport that serves the city of Calgary , Alberta , Canada . It is located approximately 17 km ( 11 mi ) northeast of downtown and covers an area of 21.36 km2 ( 8.25 sq mi ) . With 17.34 million passengers and 244,027 aircraft movements in 2017 , Calgary International is the busiest airport in Alberta and the fourth-busiest in Canada by both measures . The region 's petroleum and tourism industries have helped foster growth at the airport , which has nonstop flights to an array of destinations in North and Central America , Europe , and Asia . Calgary serves as the headquarters for WestJet and is a hub for Air Canada . Built in the late 1930s , the site has since grown to house four runways , two terminal buildings with 5 concourses for passengers , warehouses for cargo handling , and other infrastructure . The Calgary Airport Authority operates the property while paying rent to the federal government . Close to the airport is the Deerfoot Trail freeway for transport into the city , and public transit also serves the airport .
Calgary ( /ˈkælɡri/ ( listen ) ) is a city in the western Canadian province of Alberta . It is situated at the confluence of the Bow River and the Elbow River in the south of the province , in an area of foothills and prairie , about 80 km ( 50 mi ) east of the front ranges of the Canadian Rockies , roughly 299 km ( 186 mi ) south of the provincial capital of Edmonton and approximately 240 km ( 150 mi ) north of the Canada-United States border . The city anchors the south end of the Statistics Canada-defined urban area , the Calgary-Edmonton Corridor . The city had a population of 1,285,711 in 2019 , making it Alberta 's largest city . It is the third-largest municipality in Canada ( after Toronto and Montreal ) , and the largest in western Canada . Also in 2016 , Calgary had a metropolitan population of 1,392,609 , making it the fourth-largest census metropolitan area ( CMA ) in Canada and second-largest in western Canada . Calgary 's economy includes activity in the energy , financial services , film and television , transportation and logistics , technology , manufacturing , aerospace , health and wellness , retail , and tourism sectors . The Calgary CMA is home to Canada 's second-highest number of corporate head offices among the country 's 800 largest corporations . In 2015 Calgary had the highest number of millionaires per capita of any major Canadian city . In 1988 it became the first Canadian city to host the Winter Olympic Games . The Economist Intelligence Unit ranked Calgary the most livable city in North America in both 2018 and 2019 . Calgary has been a top 5 contender for this title for the last 10 years .
Montréal-Trudeau International Airport ( IATA : YUL , ICAO : CYUL ) ( French : Aéroport International Montréal-Trudeau ) or Montréal-Trudeau , formerly known as Montréal-Dorval International Airport ( Aéroport international Montréal-Dorval ) , is an international airport in Dorval , Quebec . It is the primary international airport serving Montreal , 20 km ( 12 mi ) from Downtown Montreal . The airport terminals are located entirely in the suburb of Dorval , while one runway is located in the Montreal borough of Saint-Laurent . Air Canada , the country 's flag carrier , also has its corporate headquarters complex on the Saint-Laurent side of the airport . It also serves Greater Montreal and adjacent regions in Quebec and eastern Ontario , as well as the states of Vermont and northern New York in the United States . The airport is named in honour of Pierre Elliott Trudeau , the 15th Prime Minister of Canada and father of current Prime Minister Justin Trudeau . The airport is one of two managed and operated by Aéroports de Montréal ( ADM ) , a not-for-profit corporation without share capital ; the other being Montréal-Mirabel northwest of Montreal , which was initially intended to replace the one in Dorval but now deals almost solely with cargo . Montréal-Trudeau is owned by Transport Canada which has a 60-year lease with Aéroports de Montréal , as per Canada 's National Airport Policy of 1994 . Trudeau is the busiest airport in the province of Quebec and the third-busiest airport in Canada by both passenger traffic and aircraft movements , with 20.3 million passengers and 236,908 movements in 2019 . It is one of eight Canadian airports with United States border preclearance and is one of the main gateways into Canada with 13.1 million or 65% of its passengers being on non-domestic flights , the highest proportion amongst Canada 's airports during 2018 . It is one of four Air Canada hubs and , in that capacity , serves mainly Quebec , the Atlantic Provinces and Eastern Ontario . On an average day , 53,000 passengers transit through Montréal-Trudeau .
Greater Montreal is the most populous metropolitan area in Quebec , and the second most populous in Canada after Greater Toronto . In 2015 , Statistics Canada identified Montreal 's Census Metropolitan Area ( CMA ) as 4,258.31 square kilometres ( 1,644.14 sq mi ) with a population of 4,027,100 . A smaller area of 3,838 square kilometres ( 1,482 sq mi ) is governed by the Montreal Metropolitan Community ( MMC ) ( French : Communauté métropolitaine de Montréal , CMM ) . This level of government is headed by a president ( currently Montreal mayor Valérie Plante ) . The inner ring is composed of densely populated municipalities located in close proximity to Downtown Montreal . It includes the entire Island of Montreal , Laval , and the Urban Agglomeration of Longueuil . The outer ring is composed of low-density municipalities located on the fringe of Metropolitan Montreal . Most of these cities and towns are semi-rural . Specifically , the term off-island suburbs refers to those suburbs that are located on the North Shore of the Mille-Îles River , those on the South Shore that were never included in the megacity of Longueuil , and those on the Vaudreuil-Soulanges Peninsula . Communities in that area are also informally referred to as the 450 , after the telephone area code that has served the region since 1998 . Due to their proximity to Montreal 's downtown core , some suburbs on the South Shore ( Longueuil , Brossard , Saint-Lambert , and Boucherville ) are usually not included in the off-island suburbs even though they are on the mainland .
International Aerocity of Mirabel ( widely known as simply Mirabel ) ( IATA : YMX , ICAO : CYMX ) , originally called Montréal International Airport and later Montréal-Mirabel International Airport , is a cargo and former international passenger airport in Mirabel , Quebec , Canada , 21 nautical miles ( 39 km ; 24 mi ) northwest of Montreal . It opened on October 4 , 1975 , and the last commercial passenger flight took off on October 31 , 2004 . The main role of the airport today is cargo flights , but it is also home to MEDEVAC and general aviation flights , and is a manufacturing base for Bombardier Aerospace and Airbus Canada , where final assembly of regional jet ( CRJ700 , CRJ900 and CRJ1000 ) aircraft and the Airbus A220 ( formerly Bombardier CSeries ) is conducted . The former passenger terminal apron is now a racing course , and the terminal building was demolished in 2016 . Prior to the demolition of the terminal , International Aerocity of Mirabel was classified as an airport of entry by Nav Canada and was staffed by the Canada Border Services Agency ( CBSA ) . A smaller AOE is still available at the Hélibellule FBO It was one of two airports in Canada with sufficient right-of-way that can be expanded to accommodate 50 million passengers per year , the other being Toronto Pearson International Airport . A lack of traffic meant that Mirabel was never expanded beyond its first phase . It is one of only two non-capital airports with fewer than 200,000 passengers a year to be part of the National Airports System . The airport was intended to replace the existing Dorval Airport as the eastern air gateway to Canada . Accordingly , from 1975 to 1997 , all international flights to and from Montreal ( except for flights to and from the United States ) were required to use Mirabel . However , Mirabel 's distant location , the lack of adequate transport links to urban centres and the continued operation of domestic flights from Dorval Airport made Mirabel very unpopular with travellers and airlines . It did not help that Montreal 's economy declined relative to that of Toronto during the 1970s and 1980s .
Montreal ( /ˌmʌntriˈɔːl/ ( listen ) MUN-tree-AWL ; officially Montréal , French : [ mɔ̃ʁeal ] ( listen ) ) is the most populous municipality in the Canadian province of Quebec and the second-most populous municipality in Canada . Originally founded in 1642 as Ville-Marie , or City of Mary , it is named after Mount Royal , the triple-peaked hill in the heart of the city . The city is centred on the Island of Montreal , which got its name from the same origin as the city , and a few much smaller peripheral islands , the largest of which is Île Bizard . It has a distinct four-season continental climate with warm to hot summers and cold , snowy winters . In 2016 , the city had a population of 1,704,694 , with a population of 1,942,247 in the urban agglomeration , including all of the other municipalities on the Island of Montreal . The broader metropolitan area had a population of 4,098,247 . French is the city 's official language and is the language spoken at home by 49.8% of the population of the city , followed by English at 22.8% and 18.3% other languages ( in the 2016 census , not including multi-language responses ) . In the larger Montreal Census Metropolitan Area , 65.8% of the population speaks French at home , compared to 15.3% who speak English . The agglomeration Montreal is one of the most bilingual cities in Quebec and Canada , with over 59% of the population able to speak both English and French . Montreal is the second largest primarily French-speaking city in the developed world , after Paris . It is situated 196 km ( 122 mi ) east of the national capital Ottawa , and 258 km ( 160 mi ) south-west of the provincial capital Quebec City . Historically the commercial capital of Canada , Montreal was surpassed in population and in economic strength by Toronto in the 1970s .
Winnipeg James Armstrong Richardson International Airport ( commonly known as Winnipeg International Airport or simply Winnipeg Airport ) ( IATA : YWG , ICAO : CYWG ) is an international airport located in Winnipeg , Manitoba , Canada . It is the seventh busiest airport in Canada by passenger traffic , serving 4,484,343 passengers in 2018 , and the 11th busiest airport by aircraft movements . It is a hub for passenger airlines Calm Air , Perimeter Airlines , Flair Airlines , and cargo airline Cargojet . It is also a focus city for WestJet . The airport is co-located with Canadian Forces Base Winnipeg . An important transportation hub for the province of Manitoba , Winnipeg International Airport is the only commercial international airport within the province as the other airports of entry serve domestic flights and general aviation only . The airport is operated by the Winnipeg Airport Authority as part of Transport Canada 's National Airports System and is one of eight Canadian airports that has US Border Pre-clearance facilities . Winnipeg 's distance to other major population centres makes Winnipeg International Airport the primary airport for a large area including parts of neighbouring provinces and territories ( Saskatchewan , Nunavut , etc. ) . Daily non-stop flights are operated from Winnipeg International Airport to destinations across Canada as well as to the United States , Mexico , and the Caribbean . In addition , regularly scheduled flights to numerous small remote communities in Northern Manitoba , Northwestern Ontario , and Nunavut , are also served from the airport .
Winnipeg ( /ˈwɪnɪpɛɡ/ ( listen ) ) is the capital and largest city of the province of Manitoba in Canada . It is centred on the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine rivers , near the longitudinal centre of North America . The city is named after the nearby Lake Winnipeg ; the name comes from the Western Cree words for muddy water . The region was a trading centre for Indigenous peoples long before the arrival of Europeans . French traders built the first fort on the site in 1738 . A settlement was later founded by the Selkirk settlers of the Red River Colony in 1812 , the nucleus of which was incorporated as the City of Winnipeg in 1873 . As at 2016 [ update ] , Winnipeg is the seventh-most populated municipality in Canada , with a resident population of about 778,500 . Being far inland , the local climate is extremely seasonal even by Canadian standards with average January lows of around −21 °C ( −6 °F ) and average July highs of 26 °C ( 79 °F ) . Known as the Gateway to the West , Winnipeg is a railway and transportation hub with a diversified economy . This multicultural city hosts numerous annual festivals , including the Festival du Voyageur , the Winnipeg Folk Festival , the Jazz Winnipeg Festival , the Winnipeg Fringe Theatre Festival , and Folklorama . Winnipeg was the first Canadian host of the Pan American Games . It is home to several professional sports franchises , including the Winnipeg Blue Bombers ( Canadian football ) , the Winnipeg Jets ( ice hockey ) , Manitoba Moose ( ice hockey ) , Valour FC ( soccer ) , and the Winnipeg Goldeyes ( baseball ) .
Halifax Stanfield International Airport ( IATA : YHZ , ICAO : CYHZ ) is a Canadian airport in Goffs , Nova Scotia , a rural community of the Halifax Regional Municipality . It serves the Halifax area , mainland Nova Scotia and adjacent areas in the neighbouring Maritime provinces . The airport is named in honour of Robert Stanfield , the 17th Premier of Nova Scotia and leader of the federal Progressive Conservative Party of Canada . The airport , owned by Transport Canada since it opened in 1960 , has been operated since 2000 by the Halifax International Airport Authority ( HIAA ) . It forms part of the National Airports System . Halifax Stanfield is the 8th busiest airport in Canada by passenger traffic . It handled a total of 4,316,079 passengers in 2018 and 84,045 aircraft movements in 2017 . It is a hub for Air Canada Express , Cougar Helicopters , Maritime Air Charter , PAL Airlines and SkyLink Express .
Halifax , officially known as the Halifax Regional Municipality ( HRM ) , is the capital of the Canadian province of Nova Scotia . It had a population of 403,131 in 2016 , with 316,701 in the urban area centred on Halifax Harbour . The regional municipality consists of four former municipalities that were amalgamated in 1996 : Halifax , Dartmouth , Bedford , and Halifax County . Halifax is a major economic centre in Atlantic Canada , with a large concentration of government services and private sector companies . Major employers and economic generators include the Department of National Defence , Dalhousie University , Saint Mary 's University , the Halifax Shipyard , various levels of government , and the Port of Halifax . Agriculture , fishing , mining , forestry and natural gas extraction are major resource industries found in the rural areas of the municipality .
Edmonton International Airport ( IATA : YEG , ICAO : CYEG ) is the primary air passenger and air cargo facility in the Edmonton Metropolitan Region of the Canadian province of Alberta . Operated by Edmonton Airports , it is located 14 nautical miles ( 26 km ; 16 mi ) south southwest of Downtown Edmonton in Leduc County on Highway 2 opposite of the city of Leduc . The airport offers scheduled non-stop flights to major cities in Canada , the United States , Mexico , the Caribbean , Central America and Europe . It is a hub facility for Northern Alberta and Northern Canada . The airport has a catchment area encompassing Central and Northern Alberta , northern British Columbia , and Yukon , the Northwest Territories and western Nunavut . Total catchment area is 1.8 million residents . It is Canada 's largest major airport by total land area , the 5th busiest airport by passenger traffic and 9th busiest by aircraft movements . It served 8,254,121 passengers in 2018 .
The Edmonton Metropolitan Region ( EMR ) , also commonly referred to as the Alberta Capital Region , Greater Edmonton or Metro Edmonton , is a conglomeration of municipalities centred on Alberta 's provincial capital of Edmonton . The EMR 's commonly known boundaries are coincident with those of the Edmonton census metropolitan area ( CMA ) as delineated by Statistics Canada . However , its boundaries are defined differently for Edmonton Metropolitan Region Board administrative purposes . The EMR is considered a major gateway to northern Alberta and the Canadian North , particularly for many companies , including airlines and oil/natural gas exploration . Located within central Alberta and at the northern end of the Calgary-Edmonton Corridor , the EMR is the northernmost metropolitan area in Canada .
Greater Moncton Roméo LeBlanc International Airport , ( GMIA , French : Aéroport international Roméo-LeBlanc du Grand Moncton ) or Moncton/Greater Moncton Roméo LeBlanc International Airport ( IATA : YQM , ICAO : CYQM ) is located in the city of Dieppe 4 nautical miles ( 7.4 km ; 4.6 mi ) east northeast of downtown Moncton , New Brunswick , Canada . Originally named Greater Moncton International Airport , the airport was renamed in 2016 , in honour of former Governor General Roméo LeBlanc . The GMIA handled 665,630 passengers and 111,887 aircraft movements in 2017 . The airport is classified as an airport of entry by Nav Canada and is staffed by the Canada Border Services Agency ( CBSA ) . CBSA officers at this airport currently can handle aircraft with up to 300 passengers . Nevertheless , planes as large as the 580 passenger Boeing 747 have been handled . GMIA is home to the Moncton Flight College , the largest flight college in Canada .
Moncton ( /ˈmʌŋktən/ ; French pronunciation : ​ [ mɔŋktœn ] ) is one of three major urban centres in the Canadian province of New Brunswick , along with Saint John and the capital city of Fredericton . Situated in the Petitcodiac River Valley , Moncton lies at the geographic centre of the Maritime Provinces . The city has earned the nickname Hub City due to its central inland location in the region and its history as a railway and land transportation hub for the Maritimes . The city proper has a population of 71,889 ( 2016 ) and a land area of 142 km2 ( 55 sq mi ) . Greater Moncton has a population of 144,810 ( 2016 ) , making it the largest city and census metropolitan area ( CMA ) in New Brunswick , and the second-largest city and CMA in the Maritime Provinces . The CMA includes the neighbouring city of Dieppe and the town of Riverview , as well as adjacent suburban areas in Westmorland and Albert counties . Although the Moncton area was first settled in 1733 , Moncton was officially founded in 1766 with the arrival of Pennsylvania Dutch immigrants from Philadelphia . Initially an agricultural settlement , Moncton was not incorporated until 1855 . The city was named for Lt. Col. Robert Monckton , the British officer who had captured nearby Fort Beauséjour a century earlier . A significant wooden shipbuilding industry had developed in the community by the mid-1840s , allowing for the civic incorporation in 1855 . However , the shipbuilding economy collapsed in the 1860s , causing the town to lose its civic charter in 1862 . Moncton regained its charter in 1875 after the community 's economy rebounded , mainly due to a growing railway industry .
Ottawa/Macdonald-Cartier International Airport or Macdonald-Cartier International Airport ( L'aéroport international Macdonald-Cartier in French ) , ( IATA : YOW , ICAO : CYOW ) in Ottawa , Ontario , Canada is an international airport named after the Canadian statesmen and two of the founding fathers of Canada , Sir John A. Macdonald and Sir George-Étienne Cartier . Located in the south end of the city , 5.5 nautical miles ( 10.2 km ; 6.3 mi ) south of downtown Ottawa , it is Canada 's sixth-busiest airport , Ontario 's second-busiest airport by airline passenger traffic , and Canada 's sixth-busiest by aircraft movements , with 5,110,801 passengers and 150,815 aircraft movements in 2018 . The airport was the home base for First Air . The airport is classified as an airport of entry by Nav Canada , and is staffed by the Canada Border Services Agency . The airport is one of eight Canadian airports that have United States border preclearance facilities . The airport used to be a military base known as CFB Ottawa South/CFB Uplands . Although it is no longer a Canadian Forces Base , it is still home to the Royal Canadian Air Force 's 412 Transport Squadron , which provides air transport for Canadian and foreign government officials .
Ottawa ( /ˈɒtəwə/ ( listen ) , /ˈɒtəwɑː/ ; French pronunciation : ​ [ ɔtawa ] ) is the capital city of Canada . It stands on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of southern Ontario . Ottawa borders Gatineau , Quebec ; the two form the core of the Ottawa-Gatineau census metropolitan area ( CMA ) and the National Capital Region ( NCR ) . As of 2016 , Ottawa had a city population of 934,243 and a metropolitan population of 1,323,783 making it the fourth-largest city and the fifth-largest CMA in Canada . In June 2019 , the City of Ottawa estimated it had surpassed a population of a million . Founded in 1826 as Bytown , and incorporated as Ottawa in 1855 , the city has evolved into the political centre of Canada . Its original boundaries were expanded through numerous annexations and were ultimately replaced by a new city incorporation and amalgamation in 2001 which significantly increased its land area . The city name Ottawa was chosen in reference to the Ottawa River , the name of which is derived from the Algonquin Odawa , meaning to trade . Ottawa has the most educated population among Canadian cities and is home to a number of post-secondary , research , and cultural institutions , including the National Arts Centre , the National Gallery , and numerous national museums .
St. John 's International Airport ( IATA : YYT , ICAO : CYYT ) is in Newfoundland and Labrador , Canada . It is an international airport located at the northern limits of St. John 's , Newfoundland and Labrador that serves the St. John 's metropolitan area and the Avalon Peninsula . The airport is part of the National Airports System , and is operated by St. John 's International Airport Authority Inc . The airport is classified as an airport of entry by Nav Canada and is staffed by the Canada Border Services Agency ( CBSA ) . CBSA officers at this airport can handle aircraft with no more than 165 passengers . However , they can handle up to 450 if the aircraft is unloaded in stages .
St. John 's is the capital and largest city of the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador . It is on the eastern tip of the Avalon Peninsula on the large Canadian island Newfoundland . The city spans 446.04 square kilometres ( 172.22 sq mi ) and is North America 's easternmost city , excluding Greenland . Its name has been attributed to the Nativity of John the Baptist , when John Cabot was believed to have sailed into the harbour in 1497 and to a Basque fishing town with the same name . Existing on maps as early as 1519 , it is one of the oldest cities in North America . It was officially incorporated as a city in 1888 . With a metropolitan population of approximately 219,207 ( as of 1 July 2017 ) , the St. John 's Metropolitan Area is Canada 's 20th largest metropolitan area and the second largest Census Metropolitan Area ( CMA ) in Atlantic Canada , after Halifax . The city has a rich history , having played a role in the French and Indian War , the American Revolutionary War , and the War of 1812 . Italian inventor Guglielmo Marconi received the first transatlantic wireless signal in St. John 's . Its history and culture have made it into an important tourist destination .
Saskatoon John G. Diefenbaker International Airport ( IATA : YXE , ICAO : CYXE ) is an international airport located 3 nautical miles ( 5.6 km ; 3.5 mi ) northwest of Saskatoon , Saskatchewan , Canada . The airport is served by passenger , courier and air freight operators . It is named for John Diefenbaker , the 13th Prime Minister of Canada . The airport has nine passenger bridges , three ground loading positions , 32 check-in points and a customs/immigration arrivals area . The airport is classified as an airport of entry by Nav Canada and is staffed by the Canada Border Services Agency ( CBSA ) . CBSA officers at this airport can handle aircraft with no more than 200 passengers . However , they can handle up to 300 if the aircraft is unloaded in stages . In 2017 , the airport saw a total of 1.46 million passengers pass through , which was an increase of 0.6% over the previous year .
Saskatoon ( /ˌsæskəˈtuːn/ ) is the largest city in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan . It straddles a bend in the South Saskatchewan River in the central region of the province . It is located along the Trans-Canada Yellowhead Highway , and has served as the cultural and economic hub of central Saskatchewan since its founding in 1882 as a Temperance colony . With a 2016 census population of 246,376 , Saskatoon is the largest city in the province , and the 17th largest Census Metropolitan Area in Canada , with a 2016 census population of 295,095 . The City of Saskatoon has estimated its population to be 278,500 as of July 2018 , while Statistics Canada has estimated the CMA 's population to be 323,809 as of 2017 . Saskatoon is home to the University of Saskatchewan , the Meewasin Valley Authority which protects the South Saskatchewan River and provides for the city 's popular riverbank park spaces , and Wanuskewin Heritage Park , a National Historic Site of Canada and UNESCO World Heritage applicant representing 6,000 years of First Nations history . The Rural Municipality of Corman Park No . 344 , the most populous rural municipality in Saskatchewan , surrounds the city and contains many of the developments associated with it , including Wanuskewin . Saskatoon is named after the saskatoon berry which is native to the region , and is itself derived from the Cree misâskwatômina . The city has a significant Indigenous population and several urban Reserves . The city has nine river crossings and is nicknamed Paris of the Prairies and Bridge City . Historic neighbourhoods of Saskatoon include Nutana and Riversdale , which were separate towns before amalgamating with the town of Saskatoon and incorporating as a city in 1906 .
Victoria International Airport ( IATA : YYJ , ICAO : CYYJ ) serves Victoria , British Columbia , Canada . It is 12 nautical miles ( 22 km ; 14 mi ) north northwest of Victoria on the Saanich Peninsula , with the bulk of the airport ( including the passenger terminal ) in North Saanich , and a small portion of the airfield extending into Sidney . The airport is run by the Victoria Airport Authority . YYJ has many nonstop daily flights to Vancouver International Airport ( YVR , about 15 minutes ) , which is a major airport serving many global routes . Additionally , Victoria International has nonstop service to Seattle ( SEA ) , Toronto ( YYZ ) , Montreal ( YUL , summer only ) , Calgary ( YYC ) , Edmonton ( YEG ) , and several smaller cities in British Columbia and Yukon . The airport also has seasonal ( late fall to early spring ) nonstop service to several Mexican resort destinations . Non-stop service between Victoria and the United States will decrease by 50% beginning in September 2019 when Delta Airlines permanently ends its three daily flights , after which only Alaska Airlines will fly the Victoria - Seattle route . Victoria International Airport is classified as an airport of entry by Nav Canada and is staffed by the Canada Border Services Agency ( CBSA ) . CBSA officers at this airport can handle aircraft with no more than 450 passengers , when unloaded from the aircraft in stages , or 120 normally . YYJ does not have United States customs and border preclearance , however many passengers fly first to Vancouver International Airport ( YVR ) , which does have U.S. preclearance . In 2018 , YYJ served 2,048,627 passengers and had 120,936 aircraft movements , making it Canada 's 11th busiest airport in terms of passengers . It was British Columbia 's third busiest airport in terms of passengers and aircraft movements .
Victoria ( Saanich : METULIYE mətúliyə ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of British Columbia , located on the southern tip of Vancouver Island off Canada 's Pacific coast . The city has a population of 85,792 , and the Greater Victoria Area has a population of 367,770 . Victoria is the 7th most densely populated city in Canada with 4,405.8 people per square kilometre , which is a greater population density than Toronto . Victoria is the southernmost major city in Western Canada , and is about 100 km ( 60 mi ) from British Columbia 's largest city of Vancouver on the mainland . The city is about 100 km ( 60 mi ) from Seattle by airplane , ferry , or the Victoria Clipper passenger-only ferry which operates daily , year round between Seattle and Victoria , and 40 km ( 25 mi ) from Port Angeles , Washington , by ferry Coho across the Strait of Juan de Fuca . Named after Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom and , at the time , British North America , Victoria is one of the oldest cities in the Pacific Northwest , with British settlement beginning in 1843 . The city has retained a large number of its historic buildings , in particular its two most famous landmarks , Parliament Buildings ( finished in 1897 and home of the Legislative Assembly of British Columbia ) and the Empress hotel ( opened in 1908 ) . The city 's Chinatown is the second oldest in North America after San Francisco 's . The region 's Coast Salish First Nations peoples established communities in the area long before non-native settlement , possibly several thousand years earlier , which had large populations at the time of European exploration . Known as The Garden City , Victoria is an attractive city and a popular tourism destination with a regional technology sector that has risen to be its largest revenue-generating private industry . Victoria is in the top twenty of world cities for quality-of-life , according to Numbeo . The city has a large non-local student population [ citation needed ] , who come to attend the Victoria College of Art , the Canadian College of Performing Arts , and high school programs run by the region 's three school districts .
Kelowna International Airport ( IATA : YLW , ICAO : CYLW ) is a Canadian airport located approximately 10 minutes or 6.2 nautical miles ( 11.5 km ; 7.1 mi ) northeast of Kelowna , British Columbia , Canada , on Highway 97 . The single runway airport operates scheduled air service to Vancouver , Toronto , Calgary , Edmonton , Victoria , and Seattle , as well as less frequent seasonal service to Cancún , Puerto Vallarta , Los Cabos , and Phoenix . Currently , the airport handles up to 38 commercial departures a day , or approximately 266 departures per week . Three major airlines serve the airport ; Air Canada , Alaska Airlines , and WestJet . In 2018 , YLW overtook Victoria International Airport to become Canada 's 10th busiest airport by passenger traffic with 2,080,372 , representing a 9.9% increase over 2017 .
Kelowna ( /kəˈloʊnə/ ) is a city on Okanagan Lake in the Okanagan Valley in the southern interior of British Columbia , Canada . It serves as the head office of the Regional District of the Central Okanagan . The name Kelowna derives from an Okanagan language term for grizzly bear . The Kelowna metropolitan area has a population of 217,214 ; the third-largest metropolitan area in the province , behind only Vancouver and Victoria . Additionally , the City of Kelowna is the seventh-largest city in the province . It ranks as the 22nd-largest in Canada and is the largest inland city in British Columbia . Kelowna 's city proper contains 211.82 square kilometres ( 81.78 sq mi ) , and the census metropolitan area contains 2,904.86 square kilometres ( 1,121.57 sq mi ) . In 2019 , it was estimated that Kelowna 's population had grown to 217,229 the metropolitan area and 142,146 in the city proper . Nearby communities include the City of West Kelowna ( also referred to as Westbank , Westside ) to the west across Okanagan Lake , Lake Country and Vernon to the north , and Peachland to the southwest , and further to the south , Summerland and Penticton .
Québec City Jean Lesage International Airport , also known as Jean Lesage International Airport ( French : Aéroport international Jean-Lesage de Québec , or Aéroport de Québec ) ( IATA : YQB , ICAO : CYQB ) is the primary airport serving the Canadian city of Québec . Located 6 nautical miles ( 11 km ; 6.9 mi ) west southwest of the city , it is the eleventh-busiest airport in Canada , with 1,670,880 passengers and 121,680 aircraft movements in 2017 . More than 10 airlines offer 360 weekly flights to destinations across Canada , the United States , Central America , Mexico , the Caribbean and Europe .
Quebec City ( /kwɪˈbɛk/ ( listen ) or /kəˈbɛk/ ; French : Québec [ kebɛk ] ( listen ) ; French : Ville de Québec , Western Abnaki : Kephek ) , officially Québec , is the capital city of the Canadian province of Quebec . As of July 2016 the city has a population of 531,902 , and the metropolitan area had a population of 800,296 . It is the eleventh largest city and the seventh largest metropolitan area in Canada . The Algonquian people had originally named the area Kébec , an Algonquin [ note 1 ] word meaning where the river narrows , because the Saint Lawrence River narrows proximate to the promontory of Quebec and its Cape Diamant . Explorer Samuel de Champlain founded a French settlement here in 1608 , and adopted the Algonquin name . Quebec City is one of the oldest European cities in North America . The ramparts surrounding Old Quebec ( Vieux-Québec ) are the only fortified city walls remaining in the Americas north of Mexico . This area was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1985 as the Historic District of Old Québec . The city 's landmarks include the Château Frontenac hotel that dominates the skyline and the Citadelle of Quebec , an intact fortress that forms the centrepiece of the ramparts surrounding the old city and includes a secondary royal residence . The National Assembly of Quebec ( provincial legislature ) , the Musée national des beaux-arts du Québec ( National Museum of Fine Arts of Quebec ) , and the Musée de la civilisation ( Museum of Civilization ) are found within or near Vieux-Québec .
Thunder Bay International Airport , ( IATA : YQT , ICAO : CYQT ) , is an airport in the city of Thunder Bay , Ontario , Canada . With 108,130 aircraft movements in 2012 , it was the fourth busiest airport in Ontario and the 16th busiest airport in Canada . During the same year , more than 761,000 passengers went through the airport . The airport is classified as an airport of entry by Nav Canada and is staffed by the Canada Border Services Agency ( CBSA ) . CBSA officers at this airport can handle aircraft with up to 40 passengers .
Thunder Bay is a city in , and the seat of , Thunder Bay District , Ontario , Canada . It is the most populous municipality in Northwestern Ontario with a population of 107,909 as of the Canada 2016 Census , and the second most populous in Northern Ontario after Greater Sudbury . Located on Lake Superior , the census metropolitan area of Thunder Bay has a population of 121,621 , and consists of the city of Thunder Bay , the municipalities of Oliver Paipoonge and Neebing , the townships of Shuniah , Conmee , O'Connor , and Gillies , and the Fort William First Nation . European settlement in the region began in the late 17th century with a French fur trading outpost on the banks of the Kaministiquia River . It grew into an important transportation hub with its port forming an important link in the shipping of grain and other products from western Canada , through the Great Lakes and the Saint Lawrence Seaway , to the east coast . Forestry and manufacturing played important roles in the city 's economy . They have declined in recent years , but have been replaced by a knowledge economy based on medical research and education . Thunder Bay is the site of the Thunder Bay Regional Health Research Institute . The city takes its name from the immense Thunder Bay at the head of Lake Superior , known on 18th-century French maps as Baie du Tonnerre ( Bay of Thunder ) . The city is often referred to as the Lakehead , or Canadian Lakehead , because of its location at the end of Great Lakes navigation on the Canadian side of the border .
Yellowknife Airport ( IATA : YZF , ICAO : CYZF ) is located in Yellowknife , Northwest Territories , Canada . The airport is part of the National Airports System , and is operated by the Government of the Northwest Territories . The airport has regular scheduled passenger service and a number of freight services . In 2007 , the terminal handled 527,000 passengers . In 2008 the airport 's passenger terminal underwent an expansion to the departure/check in section , roughly doubling the size of the terminal . The airport is classified as an airport of entry by Nav Canada and is staffed by the Canada Border Services Agency ( CBSA ) . CBSA officers at this airport can handle general aviation aircraft only , with no more than 15 passengers . The Royal Canadian Mounted Police ( RCMP ) G Division maintains a hangar for its air section just south of the passenger terminal . It is adjacent to a hangar used by the Royal Canadian Air Force ( RCAF ) to house the CC-138 Twin Otter and other utility aircraft operated by 440 Squadron , a subsidiary of 17 Wing . Canadian NORAD Region Forward Operating Location Yellowknife is located south-west of the airstrip . It was built for forward deployment of the CF-18 Hornet in times of conflict . It also has a CC-138 permanently based at the airport for search and rescue missions .
Yellowknife ( /ˈjɛloʊnaɪf/ ; Dogrib : Sǫ̀mbak ' è ) is the capital , only city , and largest community in the Northwest Territories , Canada . It is on the northern shore of Great Slave Lake , about 400 km ( 250 mi ) south of the Arctic Circle , on the west side of Yellowknife Bay near the outlet of the Yellowknife River . Yellowknife and its surrounding water bodies were named after a local Dene tribe at one time known as the Copper Indians or Yellowknife Indians , referred to locally as the Yellowknives Dene First Nation , who traded tools made from copper deposits near the Arctic Coast . Its population , which is ethnically mixed , was 19,569 per the 2016 Canadian Census . Of the eleven official languages of the Northwest Territories , five are spoken in significant numbers in Yellowknife : Dene Suline , Dogrib , South and North Slavey , English , and French . In the Dogrib language , the city is known as Sǫ̀mbak ' è ( Som-ba Kay ) ( where the money is ) . The Yellowknife settlement is considered to have been founded in 1934 , after gold was found in the area , although commercial activity in the present-day waterfront area did not begin until 1936 . Yellowknife quickly became the centre of economic activity in the NWT , and was named the capital of the Northwest Territories in 1967 . As gold production began to wane , Yellowknife shifted from being a mining town to a centre of government services in the 1980s . However , with the discovery of diamonds north of the city in 1991 , this shift began to reverse . In recent years , tourism , transportation , and communications have also emerged as significant Yellowknife industries .
Prince George Airport ( IATA : YXS , ICAO : CYXS ) is an airport that serves Prince George , British Columbia , Canada , and the surrounding area . It is located just within the southern boundary of the city , 2.8 nautical miles ( 5.2 km ; 3.2 mi ) southeast , and is run by the Prince George Airport Authority . In 2019 , 496,714 passengers used Prince George Airport . The airport offers multiple flights every business day between Prince George and Vancouver serviced by Air Canada via its Air Canada Express affiliate , WestJet and its affiliate WestJet Encore , and Central Mountain Air ( CMA ) . CMA and Northern Thunderbird Air also have scheduled and charter services to many points in northern and central British Columbia as well as Edmonton , Alberta . WestJet flies a weekly non-stop flight to Puerto Vallarta , Mexico from November through to April . In January 2015 , Pacific Coastal Airlines set up shop at Prince George offering two non-stop flights a day to Victoria , BC . Air Canada Express and WestJet Encore both operate Bombardier Q400 turboprop into the airport while WestJet operates Boeing 737 jet liners . In February 2015 , Prince George hosted the 2015 Canada Winter Games . Approximately 15,000 people came to the city by air for the games . The airport is classified as an airport of entry by Nav Canada and is staffed by the Canada Border Services Agency ( CBSA ) . The airport can handle aircraft with up to 30 passengers or 120 if they are unloaded in stages .
Prince George is the largest city in northern British Columbia , Canada , with a population of 86,622 in the metropolitan area . It is often called the province 's Northern Capital or sometimes the Spruce Capital because it is the hub city for Northern BC . It is situated at the confluence of the Fraser and Nechako rivers , and at the crossroads of Highway 16 and Highway 97 .
Fort McMurray International Airport ( IATA : YMM , ICAO : CYMM ) is located 7 nautical miles ( 13 km ; 8.1 mi ) southeast of Fort McMurray , Alberta , Canada . YMM is the largest airport in northern Alberta . It has daily flights to Edmonton , Calgary , Fort Chipewyan and Toronto through airlines Air Canada , WestJet , McMurray Aviation and Northwestern Air . Sunwing airline used to fly to seasonal vacation destinations in Mexico 2012-2015 . The airport is managed by the Fort McMurray Airport Authority , a community-based not-for-profit organization that has operated YMM since 2010 . The airport has seen a significant rise in passengers over the last ten years due to the intense development of the Athabasca oil sands . Flights are frequently booked to capacity because of the high transient worker population and people unwilling to drive on Alberta Highway 63 . In 2014 , YMM served 1,308,416 passengers , ranking it as the 15th busiest airport in Canada . As a result , a new $ 258 million airport terminal facility opened in 2014 that can accommodate 1.5 million passengers per year . Following the opening of the new terminal , passenger numbers took a nosedive , declining every year to just 639,923 in 2018 , ranking it the 20th busiest airport in Canada . Canada Border Services Agency ( CBSA ) established permanent service at the airport in 2013 . As of 2018 there are no international flights and no CBSA agents at the airport .
Fort McMurray ( /mɪkˈmʌri/ mik-MURR-ee ) is an urban service area in the Regional Municipality ( RM ) of Wood Buffalo in Alberta , Canada . It is located in northeast Alberta , in the middle of the Athabasca oil sands , surrounded by boreal forest . It has played a significant role in the development of the national petroleum industry . A severe wildfire in May 2016 led to the evacuation of its residents and caused widespread damage . Formerly a city , Fort McMurray became an urban service area when it amalgamated with Improvement District No . 143 on April 1 , 1995 , to create the Municipality of Wood Buffalo ( renamed the RM of Wood Buffalo on August 14 , 1996 ) . Despite its current official designation of urban service area , many locals , politicians and the media still refer to Fort McMurray as a city . Fort McMurray was known simply as McMurray between 1947 and 1962 .