'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
Grandparent scam: London, Ont., senior beats fraudsters not once, but twice
It was a typical Tuesday for Mabel Beharrell, 84, until she got the call that would turn her world upside down. Her teenaged grandson was in trouble and needed her help.
Deaths of 4 people on Sask. farm confirmed as murder-suicide
The deaths of four people on a farm near the Saskatchewan village of Neudorf have been confirmed a murder-suicide.
George Washington family secrets revealed by DNA from unmarked 19th century graves
Genetic analysis has shed light on a long-standing mystery surrounding the fates of U.S. President George Washington's younger brother Samuel and his kin.
Why some Christians are angry about Trump's 'God Bless the USA' Bible
Former U.S. President Donald Trump is officially selling a copy of the Bible themed to Lee Greenwood’s famous song, 'God Bless the USA.' But the concept of a Bible covered in the American flag has raised concern among religious circles.
Full parole granted to man convicted in notorious 'McDonald's murders' in Cape Breton
The Parole Board of Canada has granted full parole to one of three men convicted in the brutal murders of three McDonald's restaurant workers in Cape Breton more than 30 years ago.
Rainfall warnings of up to 80 mm among weather alerts in effect for 6 provinces
Rainfall warnings of up to 90 millimetres and other alerts have been issued for six Canadian provinces, according to the latest forecasts.
Sunshine list: These were the Ontario public sector's highest earners in 2023
Ontario released its annual sunshine list Thursday afternoon, noting that the largest year-over-year increases were in hospitals, municipalities, and post-secondary sectors.
Bus plunges off a bridge in South Africa, killing 45 people. An 8-year-old child is only survivor
A bus carrying worshippers headed to an Easter festival plunged off a bridge on a mountain pass and burst into flames in South Africa on Thursday, killing at least 45 people, authorities said.
Calgary bridges remain closed due to ongoing police incident
Calgary police have shut down a number of bridges into and out of the downtown core as officers deal with a distraught individual.