Air Museum asks city for $25,000 operating grant
Advertisement
Read this article for free:
or
Already have an account? Log in here »
We need your support!
Local journalism needs your support!
As we navigate through unprecedented times, our journalists are working harder than ever to bring you the latest local updates to keep you safe and informed.
Now, more than ever, we need your support.
Starting at $15.99 plus taxes every four weeks you can access your Brandon Sun online and full access to all content as it appears on our website.
Subscribe Nowor call circulation directly at (204) 727-0527.
Your pledge helps to ensure we provide the news that matters most to your community!
To continue reading, please subscribe:
Add Brandon Sun access to your Winnipeg Free Press subscription for only
$1 for the first 4 weeks*
*$1 will be added to your next bill. After your 4 weeks access is complete your rate will increase by $4.99 a X percent off the regular rate.
Read unlimited articles for free today:
or
Already have an account? Log in here »
Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 23/01/2024 (605 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
The Commonwealth Air Training Plan Museum asked Brandon City Council to assist with its operating expenses so it can focus on arranging repairs for its Second World War-era hangar and a reimagining of its exhibits.
The museum closed temporarily in winter 2022 after structural problems were identified with its historic hangar, which was built in the early 1940s as one of many flying schools across Canada training Commonwealth pilots to serve in the war.
While it was able to reopen eight months later due to temporary structural shoring work, the museum is now closing in winters due to fears that too much snowfall could cause the hangar to collapse.
Executive director Stephen Hayter said a $25,000 operating grant from the city would cover insurance and utility fees for the museum. While the museum can still generate income from renting out its canteen building, income from admissions and gift shop sales have been severely diminished due to the seasonal closures.
Hayter thanked the city for its $171,000 contribution toward emergency shoring last year to protect the hangar while permanent repairs are arranged.
To facilitate those repairs, Hayter said the museum is looking to partner with the Brandon Municipal Airport to create a storage facility to safeguard its exhibits.
A feasibility study on the museum’s future should be available in about a month, Hayter said, and fundraising toward the cost of permanent repairs is ongoing.
“We already have some major donors,” Hayter said. “We already have two individuals who are donating $50,000 each over the next five years.”
The director also said he’s hoping the provincial and federal governments will be key partners in funding the repair work.
The museum and its hangar are municipal, provincial and national historic sites.
This year is the Royal Canadian Air Force’s 100th anniversary, and Hayter said the museum is planning some programming to celebrate the occasion. That will kick off with the unveiling of a Fleet Finch aircraft that volunteers have been hard at work restoring.
Hayter invited councillors to come up to the museum for tours of the work that has been done.
Coun. Shaun Cameron (Ward 4) thanked the museum and the Brandon General Museum and Archives for their efforts to find a temporary home for the Brandon Sun’s historical archives.
» cslark@brandonsun.com
» X: @ColinSlark