Museum Officials Say They Have Resumed Daily Operations

The Canadian Air And Space Museum is literally fighting for it's life following an eviction notice and the changing of the locks on its buildings on Tuesday by landlord Parc Downsview Park, which is an agency of the Canadian federal government. In a newsletter forwarded to ANN by museum officials, they say they are decidedly not "calling it quits," and are back in business for the time being.

The museum was not the only tenant that was served eviction papers by the landlord. Since they intend to build a hockey arena in its place, all of the tenants of 65 Carl Hall Road were told to vacate their businesses.

According to the newsletter, the Museum was established at former Canadian Forces Base Toronto in 1997 when Canada Lands Corporation requested input from the community regarding the redevelopment of the original de Havilland Aircraft of Canada site and air force base. The museum founders realized that for 50 years, an important industrial heritage site had been locked away behind the barbwire fences of a military base and the contribution of the company and its people to Canada in war and peace time had been forgotten. Last year, Paul Oberman, a prominent Toronto heritage building preservationist, stepped forward to lead Museum efforts to preserve and restore the historic de Havilland Aircraft of Canada hangars and offices at Downsview where the Museum has been since 1997. He also worked hard to sensitized the national heritage community to the value of these unique aviation hangars in north Toronto. Unfortunately, Paul was killed in an aircraft crash in March 2011, but his passion to revitalize the aviation heritage landscape of Downsview Park and the adjacent airport lives on
 
As a non-profit organization, run by a staff of three and hundreds of volunteers, the Museum has never received major government funding "except for a bit of grant money." The Museum's monthly rent is more than $15,500, forcing the majority of profits to be allocated to this expenditure, rather than acquiring and preserving historical aviation assets. Museum CEO Robert Cohen said they had given three checks in the amount of $22,000 each to Parc Downsview Park with "the promise of more," but they were returned uncashed. He said that he had been in negotiations with PDP for some time, and they had been given no indication of the plans for the property. In fact, he said, as he explained management changes and how the museum was progressing, PDP had responded in a "positive and patient manner."

Late on Tuesday, PDP reportedly revised its position and told the Museum they could resume business operations on Wednesday morning, book group tours and school programs, etc., but it is not clear for how long.

Cohen says the facility is not going anywhere. "While there is uncertainty, we have regained limited access to the Museum building, we have resumed daily business operations, we are working to replace now missing exhibits and have launched a broad-based membership and advocacy campaign," he says. The museum hopes to have the building placed on Canada's list of historic buildings considered 'too important to lose."

The annual meeting for Downsview Park is set for Monday at 7:30 pm in Toronto.

(Images Courtesy Canadian Air And Space Museum)

FMI: www.casmuseum.org, Museum Video