Canadian Air and Space Conservancy facts for kids
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| Established | 1997 |
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| Location | Edenvale Airport |
| Type | Aviation museum |
The Canadian Air and Space Conservancy is a special place that used to be an aviation museum. It showed off amazing planes, exhibits, and stories about Canada's history in flying and space! It was first known as the Toronto Aerospace Museum, then the Canadian Air and Space Museum.
It was located in Toronto, Ontario, inside a huge building that was once a factory for de Havilland Canada aircraft. This factory built famous planes like the Beaver and Otter, which helped explore Canada's North. It was also where Canada's first satellite, Alouette I, was put together!
In 2011, the museum had to leave its Toronto home. All its cool planes and artifacts were carefully packed away. For a while, they were stored in containers and then in a warehouse. In 2018, it was announced that the museum would reopen at Edenvale Airport, which is about 100 kilometers northwest of Toronto. It also got its new name, the Canadian Air and Space Conservancy.
When the museum was open, many dedicated volunteers helped run it. Their main goal was to teach visitors all about Canada's amazing achievements in aerospace (everything to do with air and space) and technology.
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History of the Museum
The museum started in a very historic building. This building was the original factory for de Havilland Canada aircraft. It's the oldest surviving aircraft factory building in all of Canada! Many important planes were built here. These include the de Havilland Beaver and Otter bush planes. These planes were super important for opening up the Canadian North. The factory was also where Alouette I, Canada's very first satellite, was put together.
Name Changes and Confusion
The museum was first called the Toronto Aerospace Museum. On February 20, 2009, it was relaunched with a new name: the Canadian Air and Space Museum. The museum wanted to include space exploration in its mission. They thought about different names. Since the national museum in Ottawa was called the "National Aviation Museum" and didn't focus on space, they picked "Canadian Air and Space Museum" (CASM).
About a year later, the national museum in Ottawa also changed its name. It moved its space artifacts and rebranded itself as the Canada Aviation and Space Museum. This caused a lot of confusion because Ottawa's museum also started using the acronym CASM!
Plans for the Future
When it was in Toronto, the museum had big plans. They wanted to make the building even better for their large exhibits. They also wanted to offer more detailed information for visitors and school programs. Their plans included special areas (galleries) for the full-sized Avro Arrow replica. There would also be a gallery for the Avro Lancaster. Other galleries would show the history of the de Havilland aircraft company and Canada's achievements in space. They even planned a theatre and a planetarium!
Moving from Toronto
In September 2011, the museum was told it had to leave its home. The building was going to be redeveloped into a new sports center. The museum's collection was carefully moved into many large shipping containers. These were stored in a parking lot for a while. Later, the collection was moved into a warehouse.
The museum held its last day open to the public on September 25, 2011. Many people tried to help save the museum from having to move. They started a big campaign and even got historians to help.
In November 2018, there was exciting news! The museum's collection would be moved to Edenvale Airport. This airport is about 100 kilometers northwest of Toronto. The museum planned to reopen in 2019 and be renamed the Canadian Air and Space Conservancy. By December 2018, the museum's large Avro Arrow replica was already moved to a hangar at Edenvale. It had been stored outside and was starting to show wear.
The museum is connected with other important groups. These include the Canadian Museums Association, the Canadian Heritage Information Network, and the Virtual Museum of Canada.
Collection and Exhibits
The museum has a fantastic collection of aircraft and other items. It includes an Avro Lancaster bomber that was being restored. There's also a full-scale replica of the famous Avro Arrow. Other planes include a de Havilland Tiger Moth and a Grumman Tracker. The museum also has original equipment used to build over a thousand Curtiss JN-4 biplanes between 1917 and 1918. You can also see flight training simulators from the 1940s and 1950s. Plus, there are exhibits about the history of the Downsview air force base.
Aircraft Displayed
- AEA Silver Dart Replica (on loan)
- Aer Pegaso M-100S
- Avro Canada CF-105 Arrow replica
- Avro Lancaster FM104 (Restoration Project)
- Beechcraft CT-134 Musketeer
- Bell CH-136 Kiowa
- Canadair CT-114 Tutor (in Snowbirds markings)
- Canadair CT-133 Silver Star
- Cessna 150D
- de Havilland Canada DHC-1 Chipmunk
- de Havilland Hornet Moth
- De Havilland Canada DH.82C Tiger Moth
- de Havilland Canada CS2F Tracker (Currently in storage)
- Fleet 80 Canuck
- Found Brothers Aviation FBA-2A (Currently in storage)
- SHARP (Stationary High-Altitude Relay Platform)
- Stinson Reliant
- UFM Easy Riser ultralight
- UTIAS Ornithopter No.1 - University of Toronto Institute for Aerospace Studies
- Zenair CH 200
Engine Collection
- Alvis Leonides
- de Havilland Gipsy Major
- Orenda
- Iroquois Jet Engine replica
- Pratt & Whitney R-1830 Twin Wasp
- Pratt & Whitney Wasp Jr
- Rolls-Royce Derwent
Simulators
- Link C8 Trainer
- Air Canada Viscount Simulator
