Royal Aviation Museum to honour children and pilot that died in plane crash 50 years ago
The Royal Aviation Museum of Western Canada is working to honour the children and pilot who died 50 years ago in the Linwood Street tragedy.
On June 24, 1972, a plane carrying eight residential school students to Bunibonibee Cree Nation crashed into a vacant lot on Linwood Street.
All eight students and the pilot died in the crash.
They were Margaret Robinson, Mary Rita Canada, Ethel Grieves, Rosalie Balfour, Wilkie Muskego, Iona Weenusk, Roy and Deborah Sinclair, and the pilot Scott Coughlin.
"An important mission of the new Royal Aviation Museum is to bring to light little-known stories of aviation history in western and northern Canada, led by a commitment to reconciliation and partnership with Indigenous peoples," said Terry Slobodian, the president and CEO of the museum, in a news release. "Telling this story is an important step in fulfilling this mission; while the arrival of aviation brought many benefits to northern communities, there were also some heartbreaking consequences."
The memorial is planned to be set up near the crash site at Linwood Street and Silver Avenue.
"The new commemorative site will ensure future generations know their names and the devastating impacts of residential schools. I'm honoured I could work with the Royal Aviation Museum of Western Canada and city staff on this small step toward reconciliation," said Coun. Scott Gillingham, in a news release.
The memorial will feature a granite pedestal that will have the names of each victim and the area will have new trees and seating areas.
The plan is to have a ceremony when the memorial is installed in the spring of 2023.
The museum is also working on building another monument for the Bunibonibee Cree Nation to remember the victims.
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.
CRA no longer requiring 'bare trust' reporting in 2023 tax return
The Canada Revenue Agency announced Thursday it will not require 'bare trust' reporting from Canadians that it introduced for the 2024 tax season, just four days before the April 2 deadline.
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.
Incident on Calgary's Reconciliation Bridge comes to safe resolution
Nearly 20 hours after a man climbed and remained perched on top of the Reconciliation Bridge in downtown Calgary, the situation came to a peaceful resolution.
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.
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.
'We won't forget': How some Muslims view Poilievre's stance on Israel-Hamas war
A spokesman for a regional Muslim advocacy group says Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre's stance on the Israel-Hamas war could complicate his party's relationship with Muslim Canadians.
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.