Foremost UAS Test Range up and running again thanks to new funding

Posted on October 15, 2026 by Ryan Dahlman

By Anna Smith
Southern Alberta Newspapers
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter

After going to ground for nearly a year, the Foremost UAS Test Range is once again flying high thanks to new investment.

Operations manager Steven Donovan says the range would “like to acknowledge Alberta Innovates for the support they provided us for our research and business innovation.”

“We’re fully up and running here now,” he told Southern Alberta Newspapers on Oct. 6. “And we’re ecstatic to be back in this type of environment, with Canada focusing on the defence side of things in addition to our ecosystem work. It’s a dual purpose of sorts.”

The Foremost UAS Range is one of only two test ranges in Canada for beyond visual line of sight testing, and is poised to be a vital space for development of various drone technologies in the region and beyond. Donovan says the hope is to attract many of the projects from this area that may not be best suited for Suffield.

Last year, roughly in November, changes to Transport Canada regulations have also put the range in an advantageous spot, as those seeking to test unmanned aircraft can now operate under the Foremost Range’s special flight operations certificate while there. Previously, those seeking to use the range would need their own SFOC.

“We can streamline that process now. It takes 30 to 60 days just to get that waiver, but now they’re able to by just going through some specific documentations,” said Donovan. “We still want to make sure they’re flying safely here, assurance they got some operations and technical training, things of that nature. But they show competence, and then they can readily book here at the test range.”

This can also allow potentially those from outside the country to come and test craft at the range, be it for development, academic purposes or even as a demonstration to industry.

In addition to this new streamlined process, the range is also now able to operate year-round, as opposed to its previously limited schedule of Aug. 31 to May 1.

This, explained Donovan, was due to concerns about interfering with agricultural aircraft such as crop dusters, but it has since been able to improve the impact on these operations through open communication. Craft such as crop dusters or the HALO air ambulance simply receive priority in the airspace to ensure safety of all involved.

These changes have opened up many new opportunities for the range, and Donovan is excited to both welcome back old partners after the 11-month break where they lacked funding, and to hopefully make new connections throughout the industries innovating BVLOS aircraft.

“We’re looking at lots of opportunities here to reach out to different parts of Alberta besides just the southeast sector out here, looking to spread things out with academia and just letting people know that all the capabilities that we have had to offer to fly here,” said Donovan.

As the range is situated in a rural environment with minimal crude aircraft, Donovan says it offers a unique flying environment for testing that is unavailable closer to urban centres.

Those interested in learning more or potentially flying at the UAS range are encouraged to visit foremostuasrange.ca, and potentially connect with Donovan on Oct. 28 and 29 at the Defence Growth Forum.