The Avro Hangars

Page 2 of Mike's log

20 August 2003 - 0711 hrs (CDT)

Once again (after a couple of weeks vacation) I managed yesterday to once again get my hands on that camera control stick. The view "of course" came with further disappointment as the Details Building has all but disappeared.

All the buildings that face Airport Road including Bay 1 are still intact at this moment as I suspected but the "Jaws of Death" are doing there utmost to destroy everything else that is out of the public eye.

With this in mind, I spend a considerable amount of time on the phone with Jim Floyd this morning and we spoke of the old Avro site and the memories that it holds for him and the many others who worked at Avro throughout those fruitful and memorable years so long ago.

Jim has been kind enough to allow me to quote him on part of our conversation. Jim told me and I quote: "I'm very sad of course to see what is happening to the old A.V. Roe plant but it was the people at Avro who counted, not the premises". "Also, it has changed so much since 1959 through its' many owners that it is now only a mere shadow of its former glory".

As much as it pains me, I must agree with Jim although I always hate to witness a historically significant building "bite the dust". It rather reminds me of when my brother and I journeyed to Paris some 34 years ago and walked for hours to get to the "Site of the Bastille" only to find a small obscure monument in the middle of the road where one took ones life in ones hand just trying to get close enough for a photograph. Is this what is to become of the Avro buildings and our Canadian Aviation Heritage? Will this site too just be reduced to a mere insignificant monument to be ignored by every passerby who is not familiar with what stood on that site during World War 2 and beyond?

It has long since become obvious that such things as historically significant buildings of any type and the type that produced aircraft that were 25 years ahead of their time should never be allowed to get in the way of progress and the possibilities for yet another almighty land tax grab.

Will the destruction or our heritage ever cease?

5 September 2003 - 0849 hrs

As to be expected, all the buildings facing Airport Road are still intact. The JAWS of DEATH are still taking big bites out of the "Details Building" which are then being carted away in dump trucks to numerous to count. There is now very little left standing of this former aviation production facility.

As much as I hate to see these historic buildings eradicated from the planet, I find that there is very little that the "common man" can do stop the big wheels of Corporate Canada as the GTAA from doing their utmost to destroy the History of Canadian Aviation.

I personally believe that the old Avro Office Building would make an excellent Railway Transfer Station for the proposed rail link to the new Terminal due to its' close proximity to the tracks which still run through the A.V. Roe (Boeing) grounds but I am probably also alone with this belief. Lets see; "PEARSON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT - AVRO RAIL TERMINAL" has rather a nice ring to it, but alas, I used to believe in the tooth fairy too!!!

As yet another election shall soon be upon us it makes me ponder. Shall I vote for the political party that supported and helped give Canada the fabulous CF-105 Avro Arrow or shall I vote for the political party that destroyed the Avro Arrow and directly put 14,000 highly skilled people out of work at Avro, decimated the town of Malton and put another 14,000 people at associated suppliers out of work too?? ...what a dilemma!!