:::: MITT ROMNEY :: A Real American vs.…

BARACK HUSSEIN OBAMA who other than being a Marxist American… we have no idea what he is.

As authentic Catholics… we do know… whatever, he may be… we don't want him—

::: Planespotting, er… Babespotting, er …Both!

GENTLEMEN… Plane-spotting is no longer an all-boy's club.

CERTAINLY, NOT in the Toronto-GTA (YYZ) area where BOTH airplane AND plane-spotter babe were captured by my VERY discriminating lens.

::: FLIGHT 621 :: RESOLUTION IS… on the Horizon for 2013.

SLOWLY, slowly.…

Ever, so slowly,  the cogs of progress move forward… and what once seemed like an impossibility is fast becoming reality as the 621 Field moves toward resolution.

Yes, by this time NEXT YEAR, the Flight 621 Cemetery and Memorial Park will be in place, and the horror of the AFTERMATH of that terrible day, will finally, FINALLY, be undone.

AIR CANADA promised, and later refused to build an on-site memorial to the 109 victims of Flight 621.

No matter.

Like it or not, that very memorial IS being built, RIGHT NOW.

 As I tap away at this keyboard…

Without Air Canada's sympathy.  Or support.

Of, course.

So… it's over Air Canard, your four decades of impasse and moral apathy failed in the end.  The deadlock IS being overthrown~

Feelin' kinda' tiny… feelin' kinda small… in the grand ole scheme of things?

Too bad Air Canada wasn't a family owned biz, instead of being run by turnstile execs.  A family would know the right thing to do, even now.


(Flight 621 crash arena photographed in summer of 2012.)

DISASTER for CANADIANS at DIEPPE! Betrayed by a Crossword Puzzle, Ninnies, and the BBC :::: 70 Years Ago in Canadian History!!

Well-trained fighting men.

CHECK.

Newest and the best contemporary military technology on land, sea, or in the air. 

CHECK.

Eager, fearless, and courageous Canadians, British, and American Infantry.

CHECK.

Hasty, cavalier plan of attack with unrealistic objectives (capture the port and hold it for two tides, gather intelligence from prisoners and captured material, lure the Luftwaffe into open battle, and steal German encryption equipment for Allied code-breakers) .

CHECK.

Imminent disaster for all involved.

CHECK. CHECK.

AUGUST 19, 1942…all of Europe was under Nazi domination.  

Ignoring that sobering point that should have been reflected upon…the Raid on the French coastal town of Dieppe began in earnest, at 5am…as 6,000 men storm the six beaches of Dieppe.

  

While Churchill and Admiral Mountbatten presumptuously oversaw and authorized the raid, months before General Montgomery had been firmly against raiding the French sea port, or any French sea port. He predicted disaster. However, and unfortunately for Canada, Montgomery was now in North Africa heading up the desert campaign…so cooler heads would not prevail in this August of '42, as the Canadian government and the Chiefs of Staff concurred with Churchill and Mountbatten to authorize the suicidal raid that consisted mostly of Canadians.

Since June, months before the ill-fated raid, the BBC had been warning the occupied French coastal towns to evacuate because war was coming to the neighbourhood.  Typical misguided leftist sympathies.  And what was the actual effect of these dire BBC radio warnings?  Did the French citizens leave?

Nope. 

But the Germans listened and dug in even deeper and reinforced the entire French coast against such an attack!  

Good one, BBC! 

Air recon units of the Nazi Luftwaffe confirmed a build up of Allied military activity along the Southern English coast, while simultaneously French double-agents warned of a British interest in Dieppe.

And to add a final stupidity to the mix, those emasculated Canadian and British military personnel ninnies that planned the Dieppe Raid felt they should play nice, avoid civilian losses, and not anger the traitorous collaborating Vichy government by letting the beach area reap the whirlwind.

So the trusting Canadians were expected to make a full frontal assault on those fortified  beaches of Dieppe without prior air and naval bombardment of the port city's defences!

Huh?

THAT was never done before.  Ever.

You always bomb the hell out of the landing point.

How do you spell die, as one of the Canadian soldiers from the 2nd Canadian Infantry noted while enroute to his demise at Dieppe?

"Why look the first three letters of Dieppe are D-I-E …" he noted ominously.

Two days before the raid, on August 17, former footballer turned high school teacher, Leonard Dawe compiled the Daily Telegraph crossword with the clue "French port".  The answer appeared in the English newspaper the following day.  The answer was Dieppe!

Was Dawe passing intelligence on to the enemy?

The War Office called up the Scot, Lord Tweedsmuir, who was then assisting the Canadian Army as a senior intelligence officer.  Dawe needed to be investigated.  Tweedsmuir called upon MI5, the counter-intelligence and security agency of Great Britain.

After an immediate and intense inquiry of Dawe, at his home, it was determined the crossword containing the solution, was a complete fluke, a MERE coincidence!

Dawe was cleared of any suspicion.

Fast forward to 1944, one month before D-Day.Another crossword coincidence authored by Dawe appears in the Telegraph.  This time there are multiple references to Operation Overlord, or D-Day, the Allied invasion of North Eastern Europe.  Heck, even Overlord appeared in the crossword on May 27!  Previous   Dawe crosswords had contained, Juno, Gold, Sword and Omaha which were all code names for beaches assigned to various Allied forces. Juno was the beach assigned to the Canadian attack force.  This was too much.  MI5 was again called in to investigate the crossword compiler, Dawe.

In the end it is again concluded that relevant invasion terms that appear in Dawe's Telegraph crossword were an explainable coincidence.

However, the general public didn't find out the "rest of the story" until 1958 when Dawe appeared in a BBC TV interview.  At the time, during the war, Dawe would encourage his school kids to come into his study and help him fill in the blank crossword puzzles.  They provided the solution word. Then Dawe would  create the clues for their chosen words.

In the end, the British teenagers were getting the code words from Canadian and American soldiers who were billeted close to Dawe's school.

When the Dieppe Raid was over at 10:50 am that morning, 3,367 Canadians were dead, wounded or captured! The Canadians had landed on the beach only to be pinned down, and trapped on that beach by the high sea wall and the German machine guns.

The British suffered 934 dead, wounded, or captured.

The Germans were unimpressed with the raid.

General Conrad Haase described the Dieppe Raid as "incomprehensible".  How could a single division be expected to overrun a German regiment that was heavily fortified in its surroundings and supported in that position by heavy artillery.

  

The Churchill tanks although a new and fresh British design were "easy to fought", "poor and obsolete".

German Field Marshall Von Rundstedt noted the Allies would not have another Dieppe because "it has gained that experience dearly."

…and notably, from Wikipedia,

ALLIED ANAYSIS of the DIEPPE RAIDTHE LESSONS LEARNED AT DIEPPE essentially became the textbook of “what not to do” in future amphibious operations, and laid the framework for the Normandy landings two years later. 

Most notably, Dieppe highlighted:

1. the need for preliminary artillery support, including aerial bombardment;

2. the need for a sustained element of surprise;

3. the need for proper intelligence concerning enemy fortifications;

4. the avoidance of a direct frontal attack on a defended port city; and,

5. the need for proper re-embarkation craft.

As a consequence of the lessons learned at Dieppe, the British developed a whole range of specialist armoured vehicles which allowed their engineers to perform many of their tasks protected by armour, most famously Hobart's Funnies. The operation showed major deficiencies in RAF ground support techniques, and this led to the creation of a fully integrated Tactical Air Force to support major ground offensives.

Another effect of the raid was change in the Allies' previously held belief that seizure of a major port would be essential in the creation of a second front. Their revised view was that the amount of damage that would be done to a port by the necessary bombardment to take it, would almost certainly render it useless as a port afterwards. As a result, the decision was taken to construct prefabricated harbours, codenamed "Mulberry", and tow them to lightly defended beaches as part of a large-scale invasion.

WESTJET 737 DUELS with USAF P-51…at BIGGEST, BADDEST…

…and loses—

Hey, what did you think would be the outcome?!

USAF P-51 at "BIGGEST, BADDEST" (Hamilton Air Show, June 2012), instinctively swings around to protect the legendary bombers (B-29 Superfortress, Avro Lancaster, B-25 Mitchell and the B-17 Flying Fortress. WESTJET 737 instinctively stops advancing…

BIGGEST, BADDEST 2012…sees Chuckie Fly over HAMILTON…

…and although their won't be any NHL teams in Hamilton, anytime soon, at least the Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum keeps the city entertained!

MY iPhone 4S Captures ANOTHER SUSPICIOUS Brampton Farmhouse Fire…

HERE WE GO…yet another abandoned Brampton farmhouse…already sold to developers…mysteriously catches fire…in the middle of the night! 

For a hundred years the house sits blaze-free and then only a couple of years after it gets snapped up by a home building company…whoop, whoop…"FIRE!!!!!!!"

I saw it in the distance at 1:30 am and called it in.   

When I arrived at 1:37am…the Brampton Fire Department was already there.

I mean this was quite the blaze.  The nearest fire engine pumper (you can see it right beside the house) had been dousing the home with a steady stream of water for what seemed like an eternity…didn't even slow those arson-engineered flames down!

It costs some coin to raze an old farm home property.

It costs $40 of gas to pre-soak a farm-home's interior and 5 cents for the matches.

Basically…free.

Couldn't a land developer get a permit to do a controlled burn of these old properties?

Na.  Too risky in this case.  The city of B-Town would never approve it.  The proximity of other farmhouses and/or other residential, industrial properties poses too great a risk. You might end up with two blazes.

  

For instance, with this particular property located at approximately 10146 the Gore Road, Castlemore, there was a real concern amongst the firefighters about the residential property located just north of the blaze.  The sheer volume of smoke spewing thousands of live embers was certainly a sight to behold by me, AND not taken lightly, or as entertainment, by the Brampton Fire Department.  They stationed ready pumpers at the northern property, and one at the property just south of the 'fire'.  Several pumpers remained on "The Gore" to respond quickly to ANY changing conditions.

And conditions DID change.

I was engulfed in one such change and had to move (…and, I was more than 200 feet away!) as the smoke column flattened out, suddenly swung westward, and lowered so that I could look directly overhead and watch dancing embers sail by.  No wonder these firefighters are so concerned!  I moved moments later when I then felt the wall of intense heat that accompanied the fast-moving, jet-black billowing overhead.

One never has a proper camera…or a bag of marshmallows…at the oppertune moment.

Judging by the FD talkback on the pumper-truck PAs…the thick, black, billowing column of smoke laced with live embers that was over a half mile long…posed more of a concern to the northern property.

'Course, no one ever talks about the cost to scramble half the City of Brampton's Fire Department, the area police units, and the paramedic teams I saw perched, ready to respond further for what will be 10 hour stationing, or more, while the fire plays itself out.

Dire Straits sang a song that included the line, "Money for nothin' and chicks for free…"

What we have here in Brampton is our own lyrics that could be easily interjected into the legendary Dire Straits "Money For Nothing" song.

Here's one line from my adapted version,  "…Razed buildings and emergency support services for free…"

Razing or blazing…probably costs about the same, $20,000 - $30,000.

What's the difference then?

One the developer pays for…and one the City pays for.

And you wonder why your City of Brampton property taxes are double or triple what Torontonians pay for equivalently valued properties!

I can think of at least 10 unsolved Brampton area mystery fires…that…'just happened'. 

I'm not talking about any of the "Laidlaw Lane" fires that took down Laidlaw family farm barns.  We know who did that.  Farm-hand's son gone berserk. Case closed. Rather sadly I might add.

But what of these other fires.

Hey, anyone thought of calling Pam Douglas?

::: AIR CANADA FLIGHT 621: Crash Site Development

WELL, THERE YOU have it. Roads.  Right into the northern perimeter of the accident site.  

However, things are much better this time.  The former crash arena has been culled and the topsoil entombed in the park and memorial area of the development.  The July 5th, 1970 crash that started in Toronto with the very hard landing of an Air Canada DC-8, and the loss of its' Number 4 engine…ended here, in Brampton, only three minutes later.  All 109 passengers and crew lost their lives 42 years ago, today.

Unlike, every other visit to the 621 field in the past…I have not been able to find a single Air Canada Flight 621 crash fragment.  No DC-8 pieces.  No passenger artifacts.

And certainly no bone fragments in situ, praise God!

The profile of the field has changed.  Entirely.  Not just roads but the elevation…all to make way for the eventual Flight 621 Memorial Park and cemetery.  And, the surrounding houses.

I took the old way in.  Everybody had a good laugh about that.

"Paul,  you could have taken the road in", says Diarmuid Horgan, of Candevcon Developments who is overseeing the field's transition process.

Old habits are hard to break.   For the longest time, the way I entered…was the only way into the crash site.

I am quite happy with the outstanding progress that has been made in the field to date. Much thanks to Diarmuid and the existing landowners. The full unveiling of the Flight 621 Memorial Park and Cemetery should be next year, around July 5, 2013 provided the City of Brampton clears all the development permits in a timely manner (hint, hint).

And only two weeks ago I was there for a very special event.  To help out, in a very small way, with the filming of a movie that will involve a segment about Flight 621!

  

I can't say a whole lot about the film to be released in January of 2013, except that it will be a docu-drama involving Lucie Raymond (who tragically lost her father in that horrific Air Canada crash), as well as other people who have to cope with personal loss.  The film is being directed by multiple-award winning French-Canadian director, Carole Laganière, of the National Film Board of Canada.

From the left: Barbara Winckler (crash eyewitness), Lucie Raymond (daughter of Martial Raymond), and director, Carole Laganière (NFB Canada). 

Carole Laganière

Born in Montreal, Carole Laganière studied film in Brussels (INSAS, 1983-87). She stayed on in Belgium to make her first short, Jour de congé, which won a number of prizes on the festival circuit. Back in Quebec, she directed Aline, which won the Bayard d'Or for the best feature film at the 1992 Festival de Namur.

Following several successful forays into docudrama (Histoires de musées, 1996-97, Des mots voyageurs, 1999), Laganière directed La fiancée de la vie (The Fiancée of Life), which won the Gold Award for Best Canadian Documentary at the 2002 Toronto Hot Docs Festival. She returned the next year with Un toit, un violon, la lune (The Moon and the Violin), which won the Gold Award again, this time in the short to mid-length category. She then directed Vues de l'Est (East End Kids), a documentary about children in Montreal's Hochelaga-Maisonneuve borough, followed by Country (2005), a documentary about the world of country and western festivals, co-produced at the NFB. May 2011 saw the release of her documentary L'Est pour toujours (East End Forever), a follow-up that examines the lives of the same children, now teenagers. Carole is named cinéaste en résidence at the NFB in Spring 2011.

CT-133 ACCIDENT day before, BIGGEST, BADDEST, AIR SHOW of 2012…

…as one of JAM's (Jet Aircraft Museum) 6 Silver Stars has port side landing gear ripped off upon landing.

The 'press' called it an incident, BUT it was an accident.

WHY?

Well, because it sorta' landed HARD…100 feet or so…short of the runway, folks!  On rough terrain, not ideal, and smooth runway tarmac.

Short of the runway!  That's key!!

Shooting Stars or Silver Stars NEVER HAD tundra tires!

Likely the pilot discovered he was underpowered on the approach, tried immediately to compensate by spooling up the RR Nene 10 Turbojet…but this…or any other ancient 1950-60s jet engine just can't respond that quickly, folks…so…wham (a hard touchdown hit), port-side landing gear gets imbedded in the ground(!) while the rest of the aircraft slides 2000' before it stops.

Thankfully, pilot and passenger emerged uninjured from the crash.

C-FUPM, formerly 133346 of the RCAF, will never fly again~

Which is sad.  I love JAM and their CT-133s, and most especially their Mako Shark!

Canadair CT-133 Canadian Shooting Stars are almost identical to American Lockheed T-33 Shooting Stars, because they were developed from them!  Canadian licence-built CT-133 HOWEVER are powered by Rolls-Royce Nene 10 Turbojets, while American T-33's were powered by Allison J33s.
 
Canadair of Montreal built 656 of these T-33 variants, or 10% of all T-33s made!   Most of those served with the RCAF.  Some CT-133s still fly active-duty with the Bolivian Air Force, while many others have a new home with civilians, who hobby fly them.

A majority of electronic components for this aircraft, and the very engine itself (Orenda-built) were made by Toronto defence contractors.

Looks like WESTJET Maintenance is working with JAM on this one—

The BIGGEST, BADDEST, AIR SHOW of 2012…anywhere…is happening THIS FATHER'S DAY WEEKEND in Hamilton!

TO CELEBRATE THE 40th Anniversary of the Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum, the museum is hosting the Hamilton Air Show this June 16 and 17 at 7825 Airport Rd. E. in Hamilton/Mount Hope , an air show…like no other!


There won't be another air show like this in Ontario, Canada for another 20 years!! 


IF, ever!


————————————————————————


Here's the spectacular, star-studded line-up:


* HAMILTON SPORT PARACHUTE CLUB - Beech 18


* CANADIAN WARPLANE HERITAGE MUSEUM Mass Formation - Lancaster, Firefly & B-25, DC-3 & PBY, Beech 18 & Lysanders, Stearman, Chipmunk, Cornell, Tiger Moth, Fort & Finch


* GREAT WAR FLYING MUSEUM - World War I dogfight - Fokker DR.1, Sopwith 1 1/2 Strutter, Royal Aircraft Factory SE5A


* VINTAGE WINGS of CANADA - Goodyear FG-1D Corsair, Supermarine Spitfire MK. XVI, Hawker Hurricane Mk. IV, Canadair CL-13 Sabre "Golden Hawks" (Hawk One), Curtiss P-40 Kittyhawk, North American P-51D Mustang and the Westland Lysander MK. IIIA


* HARVARDS - Mass Formation & Aerobatic Team Demonstration


* CP-140 AURORA - demo performance


* FOCKE-WOLFE 190 (WWII German fighter) - Never before seen at a Canadian air show!


* NORTH AMERICAN P-51 Mustang


* GM FM-2 WILDCAT (US Navy)


* DOUGLAS AD-4 SKYRAIDER (Korean War, and Vietnam) (US Navy)


* MATT YOUNKIN - Beech 18 Aerobatics


* CF-18 HORNET DEMO


* PETE MCCLEOD - Red Bull Aerobatics


* The SNOWBIRDS 


* WORLD WAR II BOMBERS - B-29, B-17, B-25, Lancaster, Curtis-Wright Helldiver, B-24 Liberator (cancelled, crash landing a week ago), Grumman TBM Avenger (US Navy)


* FAIRCHILD REPUBLIC A-10 THUNDERBOLT IIs (2 -static)


Nope, the Province of ONTARIO will not see an air show like this…maybe…never again!  


Come out, and join the Canadian Warplane Museum's 40th Anniversary Celebration!


What am I exited about?


Well all the participating a/c of course, but I've never seen a B-29 Superfortress before, or a Focke-Wolfe 190.  


B-29s were the high-altitude pressurized bombers employed to drop the war-stopping A-Bombs on Japan.  Could Lancs have carried the hefty A-Bomb?  Yes. But NOT at the 32,000' feet height the B-29 could fly at!


The Focke-Wolfe 190 was a formidable foe for the legendary Spitfire and new, better Spitfires had to be developed…to counter-act this deadly German fighter.


Oh, and I can't get enough of the Hawk One Sabre in Golden Hawks colours!  And the Lysanders, and the Lancaster, and the B-17, and the A-10 tank-destroyers, and the…


SEE:  www.hamiltonairshow.com/performing-and-display-aircraft.aspx


(B-29 photo courtesy of (? Unknown), © CWH 2012…compiled graphic)

::: CRASHED and Found! P-40!! 70 Years Later!!!

CANADIAN WW II ACE, "Stocky Edwards" predesessorly marked aircraft…flown first by an RAF pilot has just been found, last month (March 2012), 70 years later, in the North African desert of Al Wadi al Jadid. 

Remarkably intact, the fighter-plane came down "power on" (the propeller is seen in the foreground, blades bent backward) back in 1942.  Right now little is known of the RAF airman who crash landed the Kittyhawk seven decades ago.

Presently, Vintage Wings of Canada flies a P-40 painted up in Stocky's desert campaign colours, in honour of Canada's wartime hero.  Stocky's Kittyhawk "K" version aircraft with the "B   H S" marking replaced the downed in the desert Kittyhawk "D" version aircraft seen in the recent crash photo.

Born in Nokomis, Saskatchewan, James Francis "Stocky" Edwards, CM, DFC & Bar, DFM, CD was Canada's highest scoring ace in the Western Desert Campaign of WW II.  

Edwards took out the famed German ace Otto Schultz (51 kills) on June 17, 1942.

Stocky is 91 years young…and lives in Comox, BC with his wife Toni.

Thanks to Vintage Wings of Canada who recently posted this Kittyhawk news!

I'm giving a shout-out to Dave O'Malley…of VWofC, who brought this story to my attention!

That guy is amazin'!!

See his Kittyhawk HS-B article here:

www.vintagewings.ca/VintageNews/Stories/tabid/116/article...

Read ALL of DAVE'S fantastic articles, rife with splendid photography and interesting info, HERE:

www.vintagewings.ca/VintageNews/tabid/72/language/en-CA/D...

This crashed P-40 was manufactured in Buffalo, NY.

53 YEARS AGO TODAY…the Arrow is cancelled…and CANADA returns to Research and Development Obscurity

IN 1959, CANADA WAS on top of the world with aircraft interceptor and jet engine programmes so advanced that the Avro Arrow introduces almost 30 aviation firsts. Simultaneously, the Orenda Iroquois is also on stage, set to be licence-built by Curtis-Wright Inc. of America for a production run of 12,000 jet engines!

In spite of these incredible technological achievements, the Prime Minister of Canada, J.G. Diefenbaker, cancels both cutting edge projects and squanders Canada's chance to retain its technological lead.

Canada would never recover.

The CF-105 Avro Arrow Interceptor program, and the PS-13 Orenda Iroquois Engine program, become the last time CANADA reaches 'for the stars' and contributes seriously to military technological advancement as a NATO member nation.

Awesome photo courtesy of Marc-Andre Valiquette's Destruction of a Dream Volume 3! If you don't have Marc-Andre's four volume series about Avro Canada and the Avro Arrow…what…are you waiting for?!

…::: Has THIS ARROW been found? :: In the UK?

WELL, IT'S MARTIN-BAKER ejection seat certainly has.

Well…maybe not from Arrow 204, but likely Arrow 206!

And that Arrow seat is for sale on eBay for a cool $250,000—or you can make an offer!

Since the 1960s…there is still a rumour amongst the ex-RAF personnel from RAF Manston that an Arrow did indeed make it to that English air base.

The ONLY TWO possible flying Arrows would be Arrow 203, or Arrow 204, that were set aside for the RAE (Royal Aeronautical Establishment).

So, who knows?

Someone knows!

TOMORROW—the ANSWER!

…from Marc-Andre Valiquette, world's foremost Avro Arrow collector, and, of course, leading Avro Arrow expert!

STAY TUNED!!

Oh—and IF an intact Arrow was found—I'd have to call in sick for the entire week, 'cause I'd be sick, intoxicated—with rapturous joy!!

FREEDOM HAS A PRICE: MOST CANADIANS don't realize…Part II

…the sacrifice CANADIANS made in WW II.

Here's a tiny glimpse into that world, as told to us by some of our Canadian Army veterans.

WE REMEMBER: RCAF 404 SQUADRON

THE FIRST RCAF SQUADRONS to serve under the British Coastal Command were formed in Great Britain in 1941. Three squadrons, No 404, No 407, and No 415 took part in attacks against German ships along the coasts of north-western Europe.

Equipped with Bristol Beaufighters in the spring of 1943, No 404 played a role in the development of a new weapon, the three-inch (7,6 cm) rocket with a 25-pound (11.3 kg) armour-piercing charge, as it hunted down Axis ships off the coasts of Norway.

SEE: www.404squadron.com/

(accidentally deleted my November 11, 2011 post , 404 was my dad's squadron after the war)

Marc-Andre Valiquette IN PERSON!! Saturday: CANADIAN WARPLANE HERITAGE MUSEUM (Hamilton YHM)

DON'T SAY I DIDN'T tell you!

AVRO ARROW DAY - Book Launch & Presentation at Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum.

NOVEMBER 12, 2011 - 1 pm in the Dome

AVRO ARROW POWER POINT PRESENTATION by Author Marc-Andre Valiquette. Regular admission, FREE to members.



Following the presentation, Marc-Andre Valiquette will launch his latest book on the Avro Arrow, "DESTRUCTION OF A DREAM - Volume 4". Avro Arrow artifacts from Marc's personal collection and the Museum's collection will be on display.

::: The Canadian Air and Space Museum, and the Weight of History ..::.::.

THERE ARE NOT many places within the City of Toronto that still exist, have significant local and national historical importance, and remain, much as they were "back in the day".

That have the weight of history upon them.

65 Carl Hall Road is such a place.

The former de Havilland Canada manufacturing site (built in 1929) groans under the weight of the Canadian history—it bears witness to. Participated in.

65 Carl Hall Road Canadians fought their war on the home front.

Our soldiers, sailors, and airmen fought the war on the war front.

Here, at 65 Carl Hall, the yet unrealized potential of the emerging industrial might of Canada squared off surely—against the already realized, ominous industrial might of Nazi Germany, back in the late thirties, and early forties.

Here, at ole '65…DHC Gipsy Moth and Tiger Moth production went into full swing.

Canada never seemed able to build a successful homegrown automobile. No matter how many times we wannabes tried.

CANADA HOWEVER has manufactured dozens of very successful homegrown aircraft, sold, to countries the world over.

Most of them have—a 65 Carl Hall Road connection.

Many of these Canadian aircraft or projects were either envisioned, mocked up, or manufactured at 65 Carl Hall and/or at the adjoining de Havilland facilities.

Yes, yes…even the current Dash 8-Q400 family series of airliners (over 1000 sold to date to airlines globally) have a 65 Carl Hall Road connection.

But folks, let's go back to WORLD WAR II.

When Herr Hitler threatened to enslave the world, de Havilland of Canada (then entirely based at 65 Carl Hall Road) responded by producing thousands of military aircraft to supply our great Canadian war effort. Without these very aircraft, the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan (BCATP) could never have gotten off the ground…if you'll forgive my pun. And as you know, or should know, without Canada's BCATP the Allies never would have won the war.

Over a 100,000 airmen were trained in Canada through the BCATP. Even 9000 Americans!

But you can't train aircrews without airplanes!

You can't practice dog-fights with bicycles—although early in the war, the British tried that.

You need AIRPLANES!

DE HAVILLAND of CANADA (located at 65 Carl Hall Road) the largest employer of Torontonians at the time, and for decades thereafter, responded overwhelming with:

• 1,500 DH 82C Tiger Moths

• 375 Avro Anson II training aircraft

• 1,133 DH98 Mosquito fighter-bombers

Merlin-Packard engines for the DHC Mosquitos were even assembled in the main room of the CASM, in the Museum area that opens up behind the gift shop/museum entrance area.

Moving right along, still under the weight of history…after World War II ended in victory, the Cold War began for Canada.

And de Havilland of Canada was there!

DHC produced:

"…the very successful DHC-1 Chipmunk trainer, and the DHC-2 Beaver and the DHC-3 Otter 'bush planes" that opened up Canada's north to be first mapped and then later protected from a first strike by the establishment of the DEW Line. These hardy aircraft were designed and built through project overseeing headquartered at ole' 65.

DHC aircraft are Canada's most successful original aircraft designs from the 40s, 50s, and 60s besides of course the illustrious Avro Jetliner, the famed Avro Arrow, and the secretive Avrocar which were also great successes, but sadly—never saw production!

De Havilland of Canada and the government of Canada donated 200 Canadian-made Mosquitos and Canadian DHC pilots to train the democratic Nationalist China air force fighter-pilots in their war effort bid to suppress the Chinese Communist factions. The Communists did eventually overtake China—the Nationalist Chinese lost, and thus China is still without democracy. But De Havilland of Canada had a very active role in the Allied attempt to suppress Chinese Communism.
SPAR Aerospace, the maker of the Canadarm -- Canada`s biggest contribution to current space technology -- began in Building #1 at 65 Carl Hall Road. Here, again, at ole' 65, Canada's first spacecraft - the Alouette I- was assembled. SPAR also built the innovative STEM antenna for satellites in this very building.

In 1990, the Federal Heritage Building Review Office (FHBRO) completed an historical assessment of this site. The building was assigned the status of Recognized Federal Heritage Building in May 1992 because of its historical associations, and its architectural and environmental value."(CASM, 2011)

THERE WILL ALWAYS BE those Canadians who sell CANADA short.

Just as there are those Canadians who forever think of Canada as a one trick pony.

Good at hockey, or, winter sports.

End of story.

But, that isn't the end of the story.

That's as far as their historical knowledge, and myopic vision of Canada takes them. Of course it's the lowest common denominator vision of Canada.

As if Canadians have had only a hockey focus.

AS IF, we never did anything else. And while a lot can be said for simplicity—absolutely nothing good can be said about simpletons.

And yet that's exactly who the CANADIAN AIR and SPACE MUSEUM (CASM) contends with these days. En masse.

PDP. Parc Downsview Park. Simpleton, central.

You gotta' feel for the CANADIAN AIR and SPACE MUSEUM.

With each passing day…Parc Downsview Park looks for ways to make it harder for the museum to survive.

CASM were even firstly locked out of their own museum by Parc officials. And then they were let back in. CASM was told they need to pay rent arrears—and then they were forbidden from allowing paying patrons to visit the museum, and generate further revenue! CASM were told their museum building at 65 Carl Hall Road wasn't up to code—as if the museum building would suddenly implode—at any given moment—and therefore the only solution recommended by Downsview Park—was to demolish the building!

Still, my biggest concern is that nobody has been able to see the root cause of the problem.

It's D and his irregularly set up Crown corporation.

Parc Downsview Park (PDP) is a Crown corporation birthed into being to bypass regular Parliamentary review and the usual accompanying federal government restraints on such an endeavour.

Parc Downsview Park (PDP) to date has blown $100 million of taxpayers money with VERY little to show. This is a 'corporation' that was flagged by Sheila Fraser, FCA Auditor General WAY BACK IN 2002 as to how DPD was spending taxpayers money, and getting around the normal review process.

Today? Nothing's been done.

DPD…still spending…still unaccountable!

If you've ever seen the Lord of the Rings, then you know the deformed hobbit, Gollum, and his sickly obsessive, demented, refrain, "My precious", my precious" .

Switch up to a glowing, eager, PDP's D holding an artist's representation of his 'precious', his personally endorsed creation: a 4-plex of hockey arenas right where he imagines the CANADIAN AIR and SPACE MUSEUM (65 Carl Hall Road) won't be, when he's done wrecking Canadian heritage.

All D can see is his 'precious'.

More armpit arenas.

And the only difference between S and Gollum, that I can see, is that, well…Gollum was…actually…likeable.

These Crown corp execs, like D…….got the grandiose idea put into their head—years back—that they were actually real biz folk, real CEOs and stuff, you know like those commanding free-enterprise biz types whose jobs were on the line with every decision they made.

Poor D. He forgets he retains a government position that is exposed to no risk, whatsoever. Flanked as he is, on all sides by his union—and with the Canadian taxpayer as his safety net.

Oh, yeah—that's real biz, D-boy.

D, you'll never be a baron, or captain of industry. Or even a good manager.

Nor should you be.

Any anti-Canadian lunatic who would demolish the site of the oldest notable aircraft manufacturing facility in Ontario, a building dating back to 1929, the actual former site of Toronto's largest manufacturing employer for decades—and anybody who would wave away, wave off the gift of hundreds of thousands of volunteer hours—valued at millions of dollars—from those dedicated volunteers who stepped up and took on the thankless job of painstakingly restoring and even creating (the Arrow) fantastic remembrances of our precious, and honourable Canadian historical past—is not fit for the job of overseeing a convenience store—let alone a 500+ acre Crown park.

And once again—why is the CANADIAN AIR and SPACE MUSEUM even paying rent???

Museums have NEVER been about making money, D.

They've ALWAYS been about preserving and sharing a country's unique past…first, with ourselves, and then, with the world around us.

Go to the great American battlefield of Gettysburg and on many days there are relatively few folk milling about. But the historical aura is still there—because the actual battlefield and wartime buildings have been left standing. Its the very place where the US Civil War took a major turn, an unadorned place that would go on to define America as a nation forever.

And 65 Carl Hall Road is such a place for Canada.

Here, Canadians first embraced complex manufacturing processes. Here, we mastered them. And went on to fight the home front war! Because there was two wars. We have many remembrances of the war front, in other museums across Canada but none left of the home front.

Yet, 65 Carl Hall Road, is such a place. Is such a reminder of our past.

And if you can't see that. Or feel that—there's no hope for you!

Fast forward to today.
Does anyone realize the tens of millions of dollars in specialized work that has been donated by selfless volunteers to create and maintain the CANADIAN AIR and SPACE MUSEUM? All, given for free, by many generous volunteers —in order to FOREVER PRESERVE our uniquely Canadian, aviation and aerospace history, from both the commercial and military sectors!

These are our Canadian stories.

This is our notable past still ensconced at the cozy abode (by modern standards) within 65 Carl Hall Road.

Canadian aviation history holds no value to D-boy.

I hope it holds some for you.

Again, as of September 28, 2011…Parc Downsview Park has locked out all staff, volunteers, and visitors at 65 Carl Hall Road.

How can you help?

Go to: casmuseum.org/index.html

Upper left hand corner of CASM's web site, locate, "Send a message", and click.

A letter will appear noting the Museum's concerns, which are every true patriotic Canadian's concerns. Just add your e-mail into the box provided and send!

ALSO, sign this on-line petition: www.petitiononlinecanada.com/petition/longterm-reprieve-a...

Your support of the Museum will be sent to those who can really help save the Museum.

DONATE to the Museum—if you are able.

Thank-you!


(PHOTO: is of the CASM-created, exact replica, of the once mighty and imposing Canadian designed Avro Arrow) Must see LARGE!

iDeath: Steve Jobs, an Unpopular Critique

PERHAPS THE BEST SUMMARY I heard in relation to the impact of Steve Jobs came from a Canadian journalist who summed up Steve Jobs life with the techie term, 'disruptive innovation'.

Through that 'disruption' Steve changed the world for the better.

iTunes, the iPod, the iPhone, the iPad, the iMac, etc ~

I certainly don't do Windoze…

THAT SAID, all was not well with the much-ballyhooed man who was synonymous with Apple Inc.

In the end our habits own us, and we shouldn't be too surprised that Steve's habit of inter-personal severity owned him, and the resentful petulant man who was forever upset with underlings that failed to impress, but more so upset by being put up for adoption as a baby, later refused every opportunity for amends to be made by the once offending, now, contrite.

Through the years, Steve nursed his rage against his biological father.

Steve did forgive his birth mother for the great heave-ho, and later acknowledged a daughter he too initially rejected—but forgiving an aging father with outstretched arms proved to be too much, too overwhelming for the fastidious nerd who changed the world. And who—eventually learned to take regular showers.

Still, I guess being surrounded by paid accolades who bow to your every whim at 1 Cupertino Loop can set one up with a false dichotomy, whereby your petty personal viewpoint is always right, and the whole rest of the world is terribly wrong.

Except, Steve's father, John Jandali, wasn't another computer or software brand, he was, well—his father.

The man who gave Steve life.

Yeah, that guy.

Whatever false, morally relative construct Steve used—throughout the long years—to shield himself emotionally from his father, will, happily, never replace that seemingly innocuous and obvious command to honour one's father and mother. And with that eternal directive, came the general, temporal promise, of a long life.

Or could it be, as it is in most cases where father-son, father-daughter estrangement occurs, the divorced/separated/offended mother fuels the on-going separation and hostility of her offspring—against their biological father. I do not mean Clara Jobs here. I mean Joanne Carole Schieble, Steve's biological mom.

Or was it a tandem thing? Mother and daughter (Mona Simpson) against John Jandali? This is also often the case.

Steve, and his biological sister Mona (the other offspring of John and Joanne) became best friends after having not known each other until their late 20s. Such can be the fall-out from adoption, and disappearing into the night. After their brother-sister relationship solidified, Mona encouraged Steve to reach out to their mother, now Joanne Schieble Simpson, and Steve later invited Joanne to some Apple events. Mona paved the way for Steve to reconcile with mom, Joanne. However, Joanne had likely so sabotaged Mona and John's continued relationship, from the earliest of times, that the foundation had already been laid for Steve to later follow suit. And so, he too, joined with Mona in rejecting father John.

Good one, Joanne. Good one, Mona.

Divorced fathers this is likely the most famous example you will ever have, of the effects of the negative power-play, your former spouse can exert over your mutual offspring.

If its a stormy break, she'll turn the kids against you, forever.

It's her one final way to hurt you.

Hurt, unstable mothers, are working behind the scenes, sabotaging your chances to keep an ongoing relationship with your son or daughter. The provincial family courts in Ontario, Canada are quite wise to the potential for this extended Mommie-dearist tactic and strongly encourage mediation.

Courts elsewhere—not so much~

Steve Jobs: Incredible visionary! Spectacular inventor!

Good son?

Well, two out of three, ain't bad.

Closing off a homily one Sunday at Mass, I remember one of our parish priests noting, that whatever disasters befall us—short of death—we never did have the right to expect perfect parents.

But apparently, Steve still did.

Good-bye, Steve.

Thanks for the presents.

Your dad never had your presence, but he has one of your iPads. And he lined up like everyone else to get one.

Roll that image through the theatre of your mind, folks.

The closest John Jandali (Steve Job's father) was able to get his son—was to buy one of his son's products—from one of said son's stores.

ABSOLUTELY disgusting. Monumentally saddening.

While Steve Jobs, being a Buddhist, never had access to the treasure trove of Christian admonishment to act otherwise, still the moral law is written on the hearts of all men—even those outside of the influence of Christian revelation.

Still, Jobs loved the Beatles, and he should have, at least, listened to them.

"For well you know that it's a fool who plays it cool
By making his world a little colder"
(Hey Jude)

How many letters and postcards from father John Jandali (through the years), went unanswered, Steve?

I hope someone in the Jobs or Simpson family will FINALLY take the high road and reach out to John Jandali, Steve's estranged (not-by-choice) father in these, his twilight years.

But since we're dealing with Buddhists and pagans here—don't hold your breath.

You can't reason with pagans.

The world may praise Steve Jobs all they want. And he certainly deserves their praise—for the amazing Apple products that were brought to fruition under his leadership—for those eager, and consuming masses.

But, and there is always a but… Steve's final denial of his father, even from his deathbed, certainly gives me, great pause~




(Photo: Apple Canada Head Office, take pictures here and security comes out to meet you!)

Parc Downsview Park ::: No Home for the Arrow!

YOU'VE GOT TO WONDER where these condescending Crown organizations find those bureaucratic disconnects who are so far removed from any passionate knowledge of the history of Canada that they would attempt to replace 65 Carl Hall Road with hockey arenas. There are a hundred other sites WITHIN Parc Downsview Park's 572 acres that could house a 4-plex hockey arena, but some yahoo wants to bulldoze the Canadian Air and Space Museum and put it there.

In the old days, at the turn of the last century we use to horse-whip those individuals that dared to sally forth with such tomfoolery.

Now, we actually hear them out.

I'm all for Canada maintaining hockey dominance on the international scene…but not at the expense of our great Canadian aviation history.

Aviation is another area where Canada ONCE dominated, however briefly, and we need to acknowledge that.

Young Canadians need to see and reflect on our past.

And where better than at the actual historic site of the de Havilland Aircraft Company of Canada, right where their first plant was located at 65 Carl Hall Road.

De Havilland first produced British designed aircraft (de Havilland Moths) under licence in order to train up Canadian airmen across the country in the 30s. But, later in the 40s, over 1100 units of the legendary de Havilland Mosquito were produced at 65 Carl Hall Road for action in WW II. In the Cold War, over 200 of these Canadian-made Downsview Mosquitos saw fighting action again, and were involved in Communist suppression in China, by a then-decree of the Canadian government.

Bigger projects were in store for Downsview's de Havilland Aircraft Company of Canada, though.

The De Havilland Aircraft Company of Canada went on to design and manufacture 8 wholly Canadian aircraft.

You might have heard of some of them.

1) DHC-1 Chipmunk
2) DHC-2 Beaver
3) DHC-3 Otter
4) DHC-4 Caribou
5) DHC-5 Buffalo
6) DHC-6 Twin Otter
7) DHC-7 Dash 7
8) DHC-8 Dash 8

The first four designs were exclusive to 65 Carl Hall Road and the nearby hangers. The Caribou, Buffalo, Twin Otter, Dash 7, and Dash 8 were manufactured on the south side of Downsview airfield at the Garratt Blvd facility. The Dash 8 continues on as the Bombardier Q400 which is still in commercial production today.

The Cold War fostered the development of a Canadian Guided Missile Division, located, guess where? I'll give you a hint, its on Carl Hall Road. This era drew a whole new breed of scientists with a whole new agenda. This time in space.

The Canadian-built Alouette I satellite was both designed and assembled at 65 Carl Hall Road. The Alouette I became the first satellite in the world—that would be put into space by a country, other than the USA, or the USSR. SPAR began right here as well. SPAR, you remember, went on to produce the Canada Arm for NASA's space schuttles.

In spite of all this rich history, Parc Downsview Park has the bulldozers on stand-by to level 65 Carl Hall Road. Six months and counting down…

Parc Downsview Park advertises itself as a place for all Peoples. It's just not Canadian friendly.

Isn't it funny that no matter what noble thing people try to do, I'm thinking of the thousands of Canadian Air and Space Museum volunteers that have put hundreds of thousands of hours into restoring historical Canadian aircraft (Tracker, Lancaster, CF-5 etc) or restoring historical Canadian jet engines (Jetliner Derwent, the Orenda 5 etc) building another Arrow(see above photo), or hosting great aviation history commemorative events that even Jim Floyd attended…there's always some Judas waiting in the wings to push his own petty agenda, and ruin everything.

There is one more thing Canadians need to know.

OF ALL THE GTA AIRFIELDS that were a part of Canada's EARLY robust aviation history:

▪ Armour Heights Field 1917-1919
▪ Barker Field 1927-1953
▪ Leaside Aerodrome 1927-1931
▪ Long Branch Aerodrome 1915-1919
▪ Toronto Aerodrome 1928-1939

Only Downsview Airfield 1929–present STILL remains.

That's right, just Downsview!

Downsview remains connected to its illustrious aviation past with one operational airfield still owned and managed by Bombardier Aerospace (the successors to de Havilland Canada) and ALSO through the existence of the Canadian Air and Space Museum at 65 Carl Hall Road who should also be the final tenants at number 65.

The Canadian Air and Space Museum (CASM) resides in the hanger that once was the original manufacturing building of de Havilland Canada. Well, that ongoing historical residence is quite precarious now.

The Canadian Air and Space Museum last week was tendered its eviction notice September 20, 2011 from the Parc Downsview Park (a Crown corporation) because they were $100,000 in rent arrears.

Why the Canadian Air and Space Museum was paying ANY RENT, and why they don't also have the former associated de Havilland hanger unit in their possession…just boggles my Canadian mind.

So I guess the TAM Arrow gets tossed to the curb along with the RAF Nimrod tail Memorial that the Museum has housed for the families of the seven RAF airmen who sadly lost their lives while performing in the Canadian International Air Show, in Toronto, in 1995.

The British are going to love to hear how tiny Canada has become in its mentality.

You have to wonder why a Crown corporation (Parc Downsview Park ) would thoughtlessly damage the museum's reputation and enlist a sheriff to LOCK OUT Museum personnel and CASM members for rent arrears.

Again, WHY IS THE MUSEUM EVEN PAYING ANY RENT, Parc Downsview Park? What has Park Judas ever done to preserve Canadian history? Seems you want to steamroller over it—that's your pathetic 'vision'.

What a bunch of losers.

All last week I have been getting emails (even from Americans) and message appeals asking me what I think? Why this happening to the Museum? Don't Canadians preserve their history? Why is the Museum even paying rent? Why was the Museum not just given the lands—by the Government of Canada? Etc., etc.

Folks, I am just as bewildered as you are!

I have no idea why Parc Downsview Park are such development-obsessed, history-destroying a••holes!

They don't get it. They'll never get it. Stooges never do.

You are dealing with bureaucratic disconnects who promise to save a few bricks from the facade of the Museum and put them in the new four-rink hockey arena.

How thoughtful, how nice.

PUBLC APPEAL: Tonight, Parc Downsview Park is coincidentally holding their annual public meeting at 35 Carl Hall Road at 7;30pm. I know there will be a real temptation to heave tomatoes at these idiots. There ARE a••holes. Don't be one.

Ask them why they are destroying Canadian history.

Accept no excuses—that's exactly what they've proposed.

The arenas can go elsewhere on the site, somewhere, more conveniently located. Like, right on Keele. Why hasn't THAT been proposed?

Even for dummies from the Parc, this alone should be a no brainer…why locate well inside the Park when you can locate on the Park's edge THUS making access much easier for those parents and their kids who will use the future sport facilities.

YOU CAN HELP SAVE THE MUSEUM by watching this video:


www.youtube.com/watch?v=t0TIYNarr2g&feature=youtu.be

AND

www.youtube.com/watch?v=wbVYh73-QOQ&NR=1

Now write a brief note to:

Rona Ambrose (Cabinet Minister responsible for Downsview Park), Mark Alder (MP for York Centre where Museum is located), James Moore (Minister of Canadian Heritage), Steven Blaney (Minister of Veterans Affairs), Monte Kwinter (MPP for York Centre), Maria Augimeri (Toronto City Councillor for York Centre) and YOUR Member of Parliament!

(Be sure to copy the museum on any of your communications at casm@casmuseum.org )

Rona Ambrose
Minister, Public Works and Government Services and Minister for the Status of Women
Email: rona.ambrose@parl.gc.ca
Telephone: 613-996-9778 (Ottawa) & 780-495-7705 (Edmonton)

Mark Alder
MP York Centre
Email: Mark.Adler@parl.gc.ca
Telephone: 613-941-6339 (Ottawa) & 416-638-3700 (Toronto)

James Moore
Minister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages
Email: james.moore@parl.gc.ca
Telephone: 613-992-9650

Steven Blaney
Minister of Veterans Affairs
Email: steven.blaney@parl.gc.ca
Telephone: 613-992-7434

Maria C. Augimeri
Councillor, City of Toronto
Ward 9 - York Centre
Email: Councillor_Augimeri@toronto.ca
Telephone: 416-392-4021

Monte Kwinter
Member of Provincial Parliament for York Centre
Email: mkwinter.mpp.co@liberal.ola.org
Telephone: 416-630-0080

Ian A. McDougall
Chairman
Canadian Air & Space Museum
Email: casm@casmuseum.org

Seen in the picture is the Canadian Air and Space Museum's Arrow replica, loving built from scratch by Museum volunteers for Canadians to enjoy, and help them to revisit our glorious aviation past that was Avro Canada. Bombardier Canada, the other Canadian aviation success story has some very interesting aircraft displays at the Museum.

:::: AMERICANS, go around buildings…

AS WE REMEMBERED the 10th Anniversary of 9/11 this month, and the needless loss of thousands of American civilians, people who were not combatants, we also remember those nations that have a long history of acting honourably on the world stage (America, etc).

Simultaneously, we note there are other nations, or peoples, who also have a long history.

But, of dishonour. Of treachery. Of civilian murder and civilian brutality.

15 of the 19 9/11 hi-jackers were Saudi-Arabians.

Earlier this year, United Arab Emirates airline demanded flight-route access to every major Canadian city, in order to compete directly against Canadian-based airlines! No—I'm NOT kidding you!! When Harper's government refused to grant that privilege…Canada was then told by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, to vacate Camp Mirage. Mirage was the Canadian Forces base in the Middle-East for supporting Canadian Forces active in Afghanistan.

The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has recently threatened to sue various Canadian TV stations for running Ethical Oil ads which denounce the purchase of Saudi-Arabian oil based on that country's horrendous human rights track record. The ads which are based on facts related through Ezra Levant's book, 'Ethical Oil' note that while processing oil from the oil sands in Alberta, which have a larger carbon footprint, impact on the environment is not the only measurement for one's consumer ethics.

How does a country treat its citizens? How are their women treated? Their minorities? Does the nation in question fight or aid terrorists on the world stage.

Saudi-Arabia FAILS in every category but the environmental one.

To process Canadian oil, some additional refining (more energy is consumed) is needed.

So, is the minor impact on the environment OR the major impact on humanity—more important to you?

CTV pulled their 'Ethical Oil' ads after receiving a threatening letter from 'the Kingdom's' legal representatives.

SUN Media and the Oprah Winfrey Network continue to run the ads.

The Government of Canada is now investigating the recent actions of the Kingdom of Saudi-Arabia and their success in stifling the free speech of Canadians.

Ezra Levant (you gotta love that guy) has the the full scoops, from Blazing Cat Fur and Kathy Shaidle:

www.fivefeetoffury.com/2011/09/feminist-hypocrites-silent...

And the update:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=83zUeV1K8ZI&feature=player_em...