Building a shared vision for investment, innovation, and long-term regional prosperity.
Looking Beyond the Runway
Yarmouth International Airport is one of Southwest Nova Scotia's most significant regional assets. Owned by several municipal units, the airport occupies a strategic location just minutes from the Port of Yarmouth and serves as an important piece of the region's infrastructure.
While the site remained active, its long-term role in the regional economy had become less defined. Community leaders recognized that returning to scheduled commercial passenger service was unlikely, creating an opportunity to ask a different question:
How could the airport evolve to become a catalyst for regional economic development?
To answer that question, the Airport Commission assembled a multidisciplinary team of airport, investment attraction and economic development specialists to explore the site's highest and best future use.
The Challenge: Finding Opportunity Beyond Aviation
The project required looking beyond the airport's traditional function and identifying opportunities grounded in both market realities and regional strengths.
The work needed to:
Understand community and industry perspectives
Evaluate the airport within the broader regional economy
Identify emerging sectors aligned with the site's assets
Connect development opportunities with workforce and supply chain capacity
Build consensus among municipal owners and regional partners
Create a credible pathway toward future investment
Rather than focusing solely on infrastructure, the project sought to redefine the airport's role within Southwest Nova Scotia's evolving economy.
Our Approach: Research, Consultation and Strategic Vision
Locality led the community engagement and regional economic development components of the project, working alongside airport specialists Explorer Solutions and investment attraction experts SCI Global.
Through extensive stakeholder consultation with industry leaders, businesses, government partners and regional organizations, combined with economic research and market analysis, the team evaluated opportunities across sectors including aerospace, defence, advanced manufacturing, logistics, innovation, clean energy and tourism.
This collaborative process examined the airport not only as aviation infrastructure, but as a regional development asset capable of supporting new investment, innovation and employment opportunities.
Building on the findings of the initial SWOT analysis, the second phase of work is advancing the project through business case development and investment readiness as the site transitions toward its future identity as Aerospace Park Atlantic.
The Outcome: A Shared Vision for Regional Growth
The project established a clear strategic direction for the future of the airport—one that aligns regional strengths with emerging market opportunities.
Recommendations positioned the site to:
Support aerospace, defence and innovation-related industries
Strengthen partnerships with provincial and federal economic development organizations
Enhance regional investment readiness
Expand opportunities for community events and public use
Create a compelling long-term vision for economic diversification
Today, that vision continues to guide the transformation of the site into Aerospace Park Atlantic.
Why It Matters to Locality
Economic development begins with understanding what makes a place uniquely valuable.
The Yarmouth International Airport project demonstrates Locality's ability to bring together research, stakeholder engagement and strategic thinking to uncover new opportunities for complex regional assets. By connecting community insight with market realities, we helped transform an underutilized airport into a shared vision for regional growth and future investment.
Client: Yarmouth International Airport (CYQI)
Partners: Explorer Solutions, SCI Global, Locality Consulting
Lead: Caroline Starr, Economic Development Lead, Locality Consulting
Services Provided: Economic Development Research, Stakeholder Engagement, SWOT Analysis, Strategic Positioning, Investment Readiness
Partners: Explorer Solutions, SCI Global, Locality Consulting
Lead: Caroline Starr, Economic Development Lead, Locality Consulting
Services Provided: Economic Development Research, Stakeholder Engagement, SWOT Analysis, Strategic Positioning, Investment Readiness
