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Aviation notables gathered in Calgary,
March 31, 1973, for the third investiture of the Order
of Icarus. Among those present were C.H. 'Punch' Dickins, most
Senior Companion of the Order; Captain James A. Lovell Jr., U.S.
astronaut and guest speaker for the evening; and well-known,
hard-working aviators like S.A. 'Sammy' Tomlinson, S.R. 'Stan' McMillan,
Walter E. Gilbert, and Maxwell W. Ward.
The gathering sparked a headline in the
Calgary Herald: Hall of Fame Aviators Gather in Calgary. These words set
in motion an idea which gathered momentum as the year progressed. A
founding Board of Directors was created with C.H. 'Punch' Dickins as
Chairman, Donald N. Watson as Vice-Chairman, and H.W. 'Harry' Hayter as
Secretary. Others included Z.L. 'Lewie' Leigh, P.S. 'Stan' Turner, and
L. 'Lindy' Rood. Raymond A. Munro took on the bulk of the work, and
served as the initial Managing Director. Canada's Aviation Hall of
Fame was incorporated August 2, 1973.
This founding Board faced a momentous
task. Many questions presented themselves. Who would be chosen for
membership? How many would there be? Would there be adequate
representation of both civilian and military aviators? By what means
would their stories be told? Where would the Hall be located? How would
future Members be selected?
After much discussion and debate, it was
decided Members should include all Companions
of the Order of Icarus, all
who had been awarded the Trans-Canada
(McKee) Trophy; all recipients of the Victoria Cross in
aerial combat; Alexander Graham Bell and F.W. 'Casey' Baldwin for
designing and building the Silver Dart; and Group Captain John E.
Fauquier, to represent Bomber Command, and Flight Lieutenant George F.
'Buzz' Beurling, to represent Fighter Command, in World War II. This
made a total of 79 original Members, with both civilian and military
exploits well represented.
A great deal of thought was given to
where the Hall should be located. Edmonton? Winnipeg? Toronto? Montreal?
All these cities and more had merit. Should it be in Ottawa with the
National Aviation Collection? Should it be a 'movable feast' so that all
Canadians might taste our aviation heritage? Finally, Edmonton, long
known as 'The Gateway to the North', was chosen as the place it would
open. The entire Board of Directors, and many volunteers, worked hard to
meet a deadline of July, 1974.
The stories would be told on four by
eight foot panels with portraits, citations, photographs, and
memorabilia. Under managing director Ray Munro, undeniably one of
Canada's most colourful promoters of aviation, panels were manufactured, medals struck, photographs and memorabilia collected,
documents, certificates, stationery and the original Members Book
designed and printed. Irma Coucill was commissioned to complete the
Members' portraits.
Over 600 people attended the first
Induction Gala on July 16, 1974, hosted by the City of Edmonton. All
living Members and their families, and many of the families of the 28
deceased Members, were treated to a night they would long remember. The
format of subsequent Induction Galas was set with presentation of medals
and certificates of Membership in the Hall, the Order of Polaris by the
Government of the Yukon, and the Order of Flight by the City of
Edmonton. Unique to this first Gala were metal plaques awarding the
Esteemed Brotherhood of Silver Wings to the original 79 Members by the
Government of the Northwest Territories.
A Nomination Review Committee was
appointed to accept nominations to Canada's Aviation Hall of Fame. This
committee remains strictly confidential and looks for unselfish
contributions to aviation which have been of major benefit to Canada,
and which have stood the test of time. You, the reader and aviation
enthusiast, play a critical role in this process. In Canada's 90 years
of aviation history, there are many who have not been inducted as
Members because they have not been nominated.
The Hall's display officially opened on
the first day of Klondike Days, July 17, 1974, in the Sportex Building
at the Edmonton Exhibition Grounds. Dismantled and moved several times
in its initial years, it finally found a home in the depths of the
Edmonton Convention Centre. In 1992, when the Reynolds-Alberta Museum
opened at Wetaskiwin, Alberta, just 65 km south of Edmonton, Canada's
Aviation Hall of Fame moved to the Aviation Hangar on the same site,
with the promise of merging its exhibits with the extensive Reynolds
collection of aircraft. This museum of transportation and industry is a
world-class destination, and the aircraft collection is one of the most
historically significant collections of vintage aircraft in Canada.
Canada's Aviation Hall of Fame is proud to call Wetaskiwin home.
Each story contained herein is just the
tip of the iceberg. These extraordinary people all made contributions to
the advancement of aviation in Canada as pilots, aeronautical engineers,
doctors, scientists, or administrators. In the words of Raymond Alan
Munro, all have drunk deep at adventure's well, all have set permanent
records for pioneering achievements ... for enterprise ... for unfailing
courage ... that have stood the test of time.
J.H. 'Jack' Reilly, Hall of Fame
Member 1974
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