[HTML]including the Canadians who never seem to get a mention in films and documentaries about 6 June 44.[/HTML]

Funnily enough some histories of D-day ignore the origins of the 51st Highland Division after they were attached to the Canadians for breakout towards Falaise.
My mancunian father hardly had time to stop complaining about having to become a ‘Jock’ before he was having to come to terms with being a ‘Johnny Cannuck’.

I find it embarrassing how little we do in these modern times to recognize the efforts and sacrifices of our past. It is not taught in school (to any extent) it is not promoted in the public eye. We have become far too wrapped up in ourselves (generally), the moment we live in and the cause d’jour.

That said, as a Canadian I must give credit to History channel and the makers of “Storming Juno” which ran last night. Why yes there were many historical and CGI errors. I could spend a day nit picking….But they made the movie that told the story of Canadians on D-Day at Juno and they ran the movie on the anniversary of D-Day. That in itself is a win by any measure.

So much of history is being lost in the minds of generations untouched by the time. It is reflected in our repeating of past mistakes and it is happening throughout the world of the Second World War “Allies”.

Thank you for allowing my minor rant and I take a moment to remember all of those that gave so much.

Tom Hinderks

QuePee

Marvelous photos

We are in process of creating an exhibit on the 70th Anniversary of the North West Staging Route which Watson Lake was a major part of.

Would it be possible to get permission to use some of the photos in our exhibit, properly credited of course.

The women in the photo are most likely USO…but there is a chance they are Soviet ferry pilots.

Some (very very few) Women ferry pilots from the Soviet Union are recorded as far south as Fort St John. Many picked up aircraft from Fairbanks.

Tom

I really do not believe that they will be tourism draws unless the end result is far more than two restored aircraft.

Appreciate your point of view…but experience shows differently.

Within our facility we have a Lockheed Vega Ventura unrestored and likely 5-10 years from completion to airworthy by the Ventura Memorial Flight Association.
(they have been archiving and working on the aircraft 15+ years), this largely disassembled unrestored aircraft has attracted Ventura specific visitors to our facility from Britain, Australia and around the world.

We have visitors drawn by other specific aircraft with similar demographics.
(Mossie, Stinson Special, Norseman)

Within our facility we track not only visitors and their demographics, but where they come from, why they come and as much as possible how long they stay in the facility.

Specific aircraft are also a major component in attracting reunions and conventions.

We also track overall economic impacts and saving to the community through our programming.

There is a whole business side of aviation heritage that largely never discussed or even brought up.

Tom

Tom,

Fair enough.

One point though – C$1.6M to restore to static condition.

That is a huge amount of money for static restoration – and I’ve worked from both angles – on the multi million dollar warbird restoration, and on the static restoration for 2 shillings and a bag of sweets. If much of the labour is volunteer based, how on earth will it cost that much!?

Bruce

Well here is a good example of politics at work.

I am used to the 2 shillings and a bag of sweets so I look on this with great great jealousy.

Calgary City Council was not asked to put up any money!
Matter of fact at the end of it all the New Mayor commented that (or words to the effect), he did not understand why the money was granted when not asked for.

The proponents of keeping and restoring the aircraft all along stood by the fact they would raise the money and have been hard at getting commitments.

I can only express my opinion….
I believe that through this fairly long running mess that the council has come to realize the greater value of having the aircraft on display and well done.

The bigger picture is more than simply the historical value…it is a Tourism draw, a cultural draw and a way of positioning Calgary as a City that values its heritage and quality of life.

If my opinion is correct kudos to the Calgary politicians for finally understanding the overall value of Heritage, in creating a better/stronger community, the business that it attracts and the value and perceived maturity it adds to a city.

As an ED I have studied and pushed based on the “business/tourism” side of supporting Heritage and what it adds to a community. The economic and other impacts it creates ranging into education and other facets.

I am hoping that my opinion that Calgary “got it” is the reasoning behind making the dollars available.

If so…maybe its the start of seeing other levels of government “see the light” and not just in Canada but around the world.

Now there’s an opinion

Tom

Indeed, there are no vultures here – until a collector in the UK started showing an interest, it had been put up for sale as unwanted! How are we supposed to read that???!

I suspect this hasnt completely played out yet.

Bruce

Bruce

I agree with your comment that there are no Vultures in the this story.

But I think it is just as presumptuous to assume that anyone other than the folks in the Aviation Heritage Community in Calgary have a handle on all the other issues in play here that led to this debacle.

The Calgary Mossie was never unwanted by the majority of the Aviation Heritage folks in Canada, Alberta and Calgary…that is why the Calgary City Council made the decision it has.

But we will disagree on one point…I do believe this has played out.

One thing about Canadians and Albertan in particular is that once the direction is set we will make it happen.