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.
