Innisfail/Big Bend Aerodrome
airport in Alberta, Canada

Innisfail Aerodrome (Big Bend Airport) (TC LID: CEM4) is located beside Alberta Highway 54, 3.9 nautical miles (7.2 km; 4.5 mi) northwest of Innisfail, Alberta, Canada.
The aerodrome, managed by the Innisfail Flying Club since 1986, offers one asphalt runway (17/35) equipped with night landing lights. The two other runway surfaces (04/22 and 10/28), used during World War II, are in rough condition. There are several hangars at the aerodrome and room for more development. It is host to many activities year-round, including a glider club, the Innisfail Flying Club and a skydiving training facility.
History
The aerodrome was opened in 1941 as a relief landing field for the Royal Canadian Air Force as part of the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan. Under the direction of General Robert Murray its primary purpose was a training facility for the No. 36 Service Flying Training School (SFTS) located at RCAF Station Penhold.
In approximately 1942 the aerodrome was listed at 52°05′N 114°02′W with a Var. 24.5 degrees E and elevation of 2,975 feet (907 m).
The public source identifies “Innisfail/Big Bend Aerodrome” as airport in Alberta, Canada. This brief keeps that definition visible, then builds a research path around Innisfail, Bend and Aerodrome.
Why this record matters
A short description can identify a subject without explaining its stakes. For “Innisfail/Big Bend Aerodrome”, the useful work is to connect “airport in Alberta, Canada” to the records capable of establishing context and consequence.
The strongest evidence will usually combine a dated visual record with documents produced by the authority responsible for the place. The source revision retrieved here is dated Sep 25, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q3017824. Authority coordinates are 52.079, -114.027. 1 of 1 selected statements include explicit references; 0 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 1986, 1941 and 1942.
A single description cannot reconcile every naming convention, rebuilding phase or administrative transfer associated with a place. The source lead contains qualifying language; that uncertainty should survive quotation, summary and reuse. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Treat names, boundaries and functions as historically changeable. Maps, plans, inventories and administrative records can clarify what the place meant at different dates.
- Historic place names
- Jurisdictional context
- Routes into maps and plans
Contemporary maps, plans, listed-building records, estate papers and the responsible local or national archive.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “Innisfail/Big Bend Aerodrome”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow Innisfail/Big Bend Aerodrome primary sources, Innisfail/Big Bend Aerodrome archive and Innisfail research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “Innisfail/Big Bend Aerodrome”?
- What physical evidence or contemporary plan supports the description?
- Which earlier names or jurisdictions may reveal additional records?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “Innisfail/Big Bend Aerodrome” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.