Impending demise of the Canadian Air & Space Museum

[-Jim G]

This is a call to action for aviation enthusiasts (especially Canadians)
I received this notice through my contacts at DHC-2.com:

THE BIRTHPLACE OF THE DHC-2 BEAVER AND THE CANADIAN AIR & SPACE MUSUEM LOCATED AT DOWNSVIEW ARE FACING DEMOLITION. BELOW IS A BRIEF I WROTE FOR A HERITAGE AGENCY IN THE LIMITED TIME I HAVE AVAILABLE.

Ken Swartz
Member, Board of Directors
Canadian Air & Space Museum

XXX

Attn: Bryan Nelson
Executive Director
Canadian Aeronautical Preservation Association

Dear Bryan,
When I wrote on September 13, 2011 to provide an update on activities at the Canadian Air & Space Museum (CASM) at Parc Downsview Park (PDP) in Toronto, I had NO prior knowledge of the surprise attack about to hit the Canadian aeronautical preservation community in Toronto on Tuesday, September 20 which included the termination of the Museum lease and news that PDP plans to demolish de Havilland Canada's historic Plant #1 to build four hockey rinks!!

Unfortunately, a member of the Museum could not make it to your CAPA Convention in Windsor because of more pressing challenges so I have quickly drafted the following to provide background info to discuss at your annual meeting.

What has just occurred in Toronto is a tremendous affront to the aviation, space and heritage community in Canada, our Museum's thousands of members, donors and supporters as well as the memories of our veterans and wartime aircraft industry workers.

We need to pull together at this time. Please note that suggestions that Museum's in other regions of Canada are better able to tell the story of the Toronto area's tremendous aviation and space achievements may be well intentioned, but are unhelpful and counter productive to our preservation goals.

How can you help?

1. Become a MEMBER of the Canadian Air & Space Museum at this most critical time. Moral support is welcome but numbers count more when our air and space heritage is on the line.

2. WRITE The Honourable Rona Ambrose, Minister of Public Works (responsible for Downsview Park) - [email protected] ; James Moore, the Minister of Canadian Heritage - [email protected] ; Steven Blaney, Minister of Veterans' Affairs - [email protected] ; Mark Alder the MP for York Centre (where the Museum is located) - [email protected] ; Monte Kwinter the Provincial MPP for York Centre - [email protected] ; and Toronto City Councillor Maria Augimeri - [email protected]. ALSO WRITE YOUR Member of Parliament (with a copy to the Museum [email protected]). Ask them to STOP the closure of the Canadian Air & Space Museum and the demolition de Havilland Aircraft of Canada heritage site at 65 Call Hall Road ... Destruction of the Museum and this National Heritage Site represents a huge loss to Toronto's and Canada's great military, aviation and technological heritage.

3. APPEAL to ALL organizations and individuals you know who value our aviation heritage to spread the word of this threat to Canada's aeronautical history. They can learn more details by visiting the Museum web site Canadian Air & Space Museum. Downsview has been a centre of Canadian aviation for 82 years and the achievements of the tens of thousands of people who worked their should be celebrated, not bulldozed.

SUPPORTERS OF CANADIAN AVIATION HISTORY MUST ACT FORCEFULLY TO OVERTURN THIS TERRIBLE DEATH SENTENCE!