'Expect to be wowed': A preview of the new Royal Aviation Museum of Western Canada
After almost four years on the runway, the Royal Aviation Museum of Western Canada has spread its wings into a new space.
The museum closed its doors at its former location on Ferry Road back in 2018 to develop a brand new facility on Wellington Avenue.
After almost four years, the new site is set to welcome visitors on May 21, featuring 20 aircraft and 17 exhibits.
“You can expect to be wowed. Of all the people that have come in through the front doors, I’ve done some tours for people, and that’s the most common word – ‘wow,’” said Terry Slobodian, the museum’s president and chief executive officer.
After almost four years, the new site is set to welcome visitors on May 21, featuring 20 aircrafts and 17 exhibits. (Image Source: Ainsley McPhail/CTV News Winnipeg)
The sprawling, 86,000 square foot space aims to guide visitors through the story of flight across western and northern Canada through 14 immersive galleries. It also features a new outdoor aviation plaza, an observation lounge, a kids’ interactive play area, an archive room and an engine room that lets visitors to put the pedal to the metal and experience the sounds and feel of different types of aircraft engines.
Additionally, the new museum aims to tell the stories behind the aircraft.
“In the past, we were a bit more aircraft-centric, and now it's all about the stories of those aircraft and the bush pilots and so on,” Slobodian said.
The museum also seeks to commemorate the role women and Indigenous people played in Western Canada’s aviation history. Some exhibits were developed in collaboration with Niigaan Sinclair, a professor of native studies at the University of Manitoba. He also helped the museum fulfill calls to action issued by the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.
Overall, museum officials hope it captivates the next generation to take flight.
“What our intention is, is to wow people and inspire people, especially children to consider careers in aviation down the road as well,” said Brent Williams, the museum’s manager of communications.
- With files from CTV's Ainsley McPhail
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
NEW Life got in the way of one woman's reunion with her father, but a DNA test gained her a family
Anne Marie Cavner was the closest she'd ever been to meeting her biological father, but then life dealt her a blow. From an unexpected loss to a host of new relationships, a DNA test changed her life, and she doesn't regret a thing.
NEW Keeping these exotic pets is 'cruel' and 'dangerous,' Canadian animal advocates say
Canadian pet owners are finding companionship beyond dogs and cats. Tigers, alligators, scorpions and tarantulas are among some of the exotic pets they are keeping in private homes, which pose risks to public safety and animal welfare, advocates say.
Doctors ask Liberal government to reconsider capital gains tax change
The Canadian Medical Association is asking the federal government to reconsider its proposed changes to capital gains taxation, arguing it will affect doctors' retirement savings.
Psychologist becomes first person in Peru to die by euthanasia after fighting in court for years
A Peruvian psychologist who suffered from an incurable disease that weakened her muscles and had her confined to her bed for several years, died by euthanasia, her lawyer said Monday, becoming the first person in the country to obtain the right to die with medical assistance.
Quebec Health Department reports 28 cases of eye damage linked to solar eclipse
Quebec's Health Department says it has received 28 reports of eye damage related to the April 8 total solar eclipse that passed over southern parts of the province.
Diver pinned under water by an alligator figured he had choice. Lose his arm or lose his life
An alligator attacked a diver on April 15 as he surfaced from his dive, nearly out of air. His tank emptied with the gator's jaws crushing the arm he put up in defence.
How quietly promised law changes in the 2024 federal budget could impact your day-to-day life
The 2024 federal budget released last week includes numerous big spending promises that have garnered headlines. But, tucked into the 416-page document are also series of smaller items, such as promising to amend the law regarding infant formula and to force banks to label government rebates, that you may have missed.
Which foods have the most plastics? You may be surprised
'How much plastic will you have for dinner, sir? And you, ma'am?' While that may seem like a line from a satirical skit on Saturday Night Live, research is showing it's much too close to reality.
opinion I've been a criminal attorney for decades. Here's what I think about the case against Trump
Joey Jackson, a criminal defence attorney and a legal analyst for CNN, outlines what he thinks about the criminal case against Donald Trump in the 'hush money trial.'