Historical Canadian Airport Closure

My mother was born in 1929 and grew up near this airport. During the war her family housed servicemen and she met people from all over the world as well as stealing a ride in an Anson during a time when civilians didn't normally fly in borrowed military aircraft. Her friend Pat Purdhem(sp) and her Dad who was a Captain with the US Airforce took my mom's family for a joyride around 1943.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edmonton_City_Centre_(Blatchford_Field)_Airport

If there are still some folks around that visited our City, landing at the Blatchford field either for training or on their way to Alaska during WWII and you have stories from the past about those that flew into Edmonton, I'd love to preserve them here.

The airport was a primary link to the Northwest Staging Route http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Northwest_Staging_Route and our museum's hanger looked a little different back then then it does today. (see pics) This airport provided support to a lot of Steel Soldiers.

On Saturday Nov. 30th 2013 at 4:49pm the lights at this historical airport went out for the last time so all we have left are the stories and memories that the airport leaves behind.

I grew up about a mile off the end of runway 12/30 and watched 737's out our front window everyday and it simply made me plane nuts. When the Aviation museum http://www.albertaaviationmuseum.com/news opened up I became a member. One of the biggest stories of the closure was the effort by our Museum to find a new home for our 737 and getting it out before the closure. http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/737-plane-leaves-city-centre-airport-for-new-home-1.2445868

The entire 13 minute flight http://globalnews.ca/video/999777/raw-video-737-flies-from-city-centre-to-villeneuve

A little fly by at her new home http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D2MPEYkpVns

With no place to park yet she will be staged in a field that took a little off-roading to get to.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ofdLkzUW_uo

....and a little info on the new museum http://www.edmontonjournal.com/life/aviation+museum+planned+Villeneuve+airport/9177561/story.html

Preserving our flying Steel Soldiers for as long as we can.

Edmonton Airport Closure

The ramp during WWII and today, our 737 and a helicopter from the past.

What are the powers that be going to do with the airport? Will it go private? Any chance for you guys to get some space for military vehicle use?

The City owns the land and plans to develop it for housing. http://www.edmonton.ca/city_governm...n-city-centre-airport-land-redevelopment.aspx

It all comes down to tax dollars

* increasing revenue to the City over the long term (between $91M and $486M), which helps reduce the burden on taxpayers. The City received $1.1M in taxes annually from businesses on the land.

I'm not sure how 6x6 access will be but I'll be sure to get some photos of the deuce in front of some of the historical hangers before they see demo. We are moving one hanger to the new location so I'm hoping for some runway time before it's gone. Still surreal not hearing aircraft every ten minutes.