I hadn’t realised this had happened : Closure of the remaining runway was announced at an Edmonton City Council meeting on September 26th, 2013. On December 1, 2013 ERAA will place barricades on the remaining runway 12/30 to prevent access to the runway, and the runway will be clearly marked to signal to pilots that it is closed.

Does this limit the future for the museum at its current site?

First off thanks everyone, not like we needed another challenge.

To David

Yes it does limit the ability of the Alberta Aviation Museum to grow which is what has driven the process.

With the area we are now restricted to and having (2) major funding streams cut off with the closure of the airport, Canada’s oldest and arguably most historic BTW, the collection was going to have to be reduced and the mandate restricted in addition being cut off from additional space meant our restoration department was going to be forced offsite due to changes in the building code when the new heating system is installed (we are currently grandfathered).

Our mandate has always been (to paraphrase) Edmonton, Alberta with a focus on the North, Northern Canada and Canada as relating to Edmonton and Alberta.

With the space restriction the Alberta Aviation Museum will only have room to present Edmonton’s history well and even then it will be difficult.

The new museum will pick up the balance of the mandate and be a different kind of museum so they complement rather than compete.

But as someone once said…difficult times call for bold solutions.

We can make this happen