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Parc Downsview Park

The Island Airport might be a good place tor the museum to relocate to - aren't there some historic hangers there that could be used? Since the pedestrian tunnel is going to get built, might as well get some additional uses out of it.

AoD
 
FAC33 said:
Either that or the RCAF museum in Trenton.

My husband is a member of the Air and Space Museum and adds a rather troubling note: Apparently the museum's holdings are not in public trust, so if the museum does fold (not just shut down--actually fold) the likely result would be to sell the museum's holdings at public auction. This would include (among others) the Arrow replica, the Lanc under restoration, and the museum's archives--which includes a decent collection of documents donated by families of people who worked in the aviation industry, including on the Arrow. In fact, my father-in-law's papers from his time with A.V. Roe, including on the Arrow, are in their holdings.
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Can your husband offer comment on the interest to move the old Island Airport Terminal to Downsview? I'm not sure if the Park or the Museum was involved.

To the idea of moving the museum to the Island Airport - the Port Authority has pretty solid long term plans for the airport and I highly doubt there is the room for it. Maybe elsewhere on the island it might make an interesting seasonal attraction but you'd have to work with the Parks Department to source space and funding to build the necessary buildings would have to be brought to the table. The park already pays for Far Enough Farm out of its budget and the city is looking to move that expense as well...
 
themarc said:
Can your husband offer comment on the interest to move the old Island Airport Terminal to Downsview? I'm not sure if the Park or the Museum was involved.

To the idea of moving the museum to the Island Airport - the Port Authority has pretty solid long term plans for the airport and I highly doubt there is the room for it. Maybe elsewhere on the island it might make an interesting seasonal attraction but you'd have to work with the Parks Department to source space and funding to build the necessary buildings would have to be brought to the table. The park already pays for Far Enough Farm out of its budget and the city is looking to move that expense as well...
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As someone who's flown out of the island airport, I'm guessing that would be very difficult. Porter and Air Canada are both growing like gangbusters down there, and the museum isn't a flying museum like the WPH where having an adjacent airport is a real necessity. The main attraction of Downsview is the historic de Haviland building they were using and the connection with the aviation industray, rather than the adjacent airport. I will check with him and find out whether he's hearing any scuttlebutt. We were away on Saturday, and apparently a last-minute members' meeting took place that day that he missed as a result.
 
Maybe someone should make a poll here about how many of us have actually been to the air plane museum....... I have for the record....
 
sixrings said:
Maybe someone should make a poll here about how many of us have actually been to the air plane museum....... I have for the record....
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I never did - had meant to. I live downtown and it just wasn't a convenient place for me to casually get to. I went and saw the King Tut exhibit at the AGO and even that was a pain to get in and out of due to the crowds so I rarely even go there.
 
As a reminder, note the following Architectural Conservancy of Ontario Facebook post

the federally controlled Downsview Park has evicted the Canadian Air and Space Museum and is demolishing the 1929 mathers and haldenby building to construct four skating rinks. They seem intent on demolishing every bit of history on the site. Time to mobilize....
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Rare that you have a museum where some elements of the collection were made in it.

While it's a diamond in the rough, this could be an outstanding museum if it had a little money and wasn't always under some kind of threat (not the first time that Parc Downsview Sportsplex has wanted to do the museum in).
 
gristle said:
Rare that you have a museum where some elements of the collection were made in it.

While it's a diamond in the rough, this could be an outstanding museum if it had a little money and wasn't always under some kind of threat (not the first time that Parc Downsview Sportsplex has wanted to do the museum in).
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Apparently Rob Ford offered them a home on the Waterfront. Great idea but where? Portlands would be the only place that would make sense. Renovating one of the Silo sites would prove to be too expensive. Exhibition Place perhaps? Somewhere around the CN Tower? Remember - the Island Airport is federal and unless they want to make it a seasonal museum the Island side of the airport is out of the question as well.

Thoughts?
 
when i think of parks i think of open space and sports. i do not think of museums. btw i have been to the air space museum but i will be happy with more sports at downsview PARK.
 
i enjoy thecentral park zoo.. i wish centre island could have a small scale zoo like that. the torontozoo is so big and really i could live seeing a tenth of the animals. id take a zoo with polar bears, tigers, monkeys, lion, otters, sea lions, penguins. there are otber interesting animals but i had to make the cut somewhere. anyway downsview park has been known as a sports park. roller derby, go karting, soccer, volleyball, floor hockey, and basketball. downsview park even has a practice facility for the toronto fc. ice hockey is a great compliment to this list.

WHERE ARE THE CONDO SALE CENTERS!!!!!!!!!!!!! metrogate is almost complete and theres no news of whats next to surround the park.
 
Automation Gallery said:
Such nonsense, they were evicted for unpaid rent.
The Air and Space Museum was behind on its rent by about $100,000
You should know...that in Canada if you dont pay your rent, you're out the door.
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The rent is paid. Given the special circumstances of the museum, and that Parc Downsview Park is federally funded, its not like any temporary delinquency would have put the Parc Corp under.

And yes, Parc Downsview Park wanted them off the site about five years ago.
 
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