'Come in and explore': BC Aviation Museum holds first open house since pandemic
After being grounded for the past three years due to the pandemic, volunteers at the BC Aviation Museum in North Saanich, B.C., are ready for takeoff with the facility’s first open house since 2019.
On Saturday, Aug. 20, more than 40 tour guides will be on hand to provide visitors with an in-depth look into B.C.’s aviation history.
During the course of its 35-year history, the North Saanich-based museum has collected more than 30 aircraft and thousands of artifacts with each item representing a key moment in the province’s history of flight.
"We want people to come in and explore," said BC Aviation Museum board president Laura Lavin.
"Every year there’s new acquisitions, we get new planes like the [Grumann] Tracker. We’re the past of aviation and the future," she said.
The collection of aircraft on display range from military aircraft made famous in the Second World War, such as a Spitfire and a Bristol Bomber, to a 1950s era Tran-Canada Airlines Vickers 757 Viscount passenger airliner from the early days of commercial air travel.
"You can actually walk through the Viscount and see what public travel was like back then," said Lavin. "You can really see how aviation has changed and grown through our history."
GUEST APPEARANCES
In addition to the museum’s aircraft displays and exhibits, a number of guest fly-overs will take place during the open house.
Harbour Air's Electric Beaver, Canada's first electrically-powered commercial aircraft, will make an appearance during the one-day event.
"That’s going to be exciting for people to see," said Lavin. "It’s a prototype still, but having Harbour Air’s electric plane here is exciting and it's fascinating to see the development of aircraft."
Organizers have arranged for a number of other special guests to appear at the event. The Victoria Airport Authority will have its firetrucks on display and the Royal Canadian Airforce’s 443 Squadron will be on hand with a Cyclone helicopter for visitors to see.
"We’ll have kids’ games, food trucks, ice-cream and everything you’d want for a family fun day," said Lavin.
"We’ve been part of the community for 35 years and we’d like to celebrate that," she said. "We want people to come in and explore and have a good time."
The BC Aviation Museum is located at 1910 Norseman Rd., not far from Victoria International Airport.
The open house runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., with admission by donation.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'One of the single most terrifying things ever': Ontario couple among passengers on sinking tour boat in Dominican Republic
A Toronto couple are speaking out about their 'extremely dangerous' experience on board a sinking tour boat in the Dominican Republic last week.
Half of Canadians have negative opinion of latest Liberal budget: poll
A new poll suggests the Liberals have not won over voters with their latest budget, though there is broad support for their plan to build millions of homes.
opinion Why you should protect your investments by naming a trusted contact person
Appointing a trusted person to help with financial obligations can give you peace of mind. In his personal finance column for CTVNews.ca, Christopher Liew outlines the key benefits of naming a confidant to take over your financial responsibilities, if the need ever arises.
Teacher shortages see some Ontario high school students awarded perfect grades on midterm exams
Students at a high school in York Region have been awarded perfect marks on their midterm exams in three subjects – not because of their academic performances however, but because they had no teacher.
'My stomach dropped': Winnipeg man speaks out after being criminally harassed following single online date
A Winnipeg man said a single date gone wrong led to years of criminal harassment, false arrests, stress and depression.
Doctors combine a pig kidney transplant and a heart device in a bid to extend woman's life
Doctors have transplanted a pig kidney into a New Jersey woman who was near death, part of a dramatic pair of surgeries that also stabilized her failing heart.
Photographer alleges he was forced to watch Megan Thee Stallion have sex and was unfairly fired
A photographer who worked for Megan Thee Stallion said in a lawsuit filed Tuesday that he was forced to watch her have sex, was unfairly fired soon after and was abused as her employee.
Ottawa injects another $36M into vaccine injury compensation fund
The federal government has added $36.4 million to a program designed to support people who have been seriously injured or killed by vaccines since the end of 2020.
An Ontario senior thought he called Geek Squad for help with his printer. Instead, he got scammed out of $25,000
An Ontario senior’s attempt to get technical help online led him into a spoofing scam where he lost $25,000. Now, he’s sharing his story to warn others.