Weekly Ponderings: On a wing and a prayer no life like it - Part 49 (163)
In subsequent years, Peace River Airport has been the regional site of flight- related shows and displays, organized, and presented by Peace River Air Association, and sponsors such as Town of Peace River, the last of which was Sky Dives ’n Wheels Up in 2023.
Article content
Blatchford Field is returning to original Blatchford name – this time a purpose-built community on the 96-year-old grounds of the Edmonton airport of many names. Whether, and how, the transition should take place, as far back as the 1950s, went through back-and-forth earnest conversations, some say “fierce debates”, often in the media.
There was reluctance to change, especially from those who valued the airport’s nearness to city emergency care – for many years a vital benefit of medivac capabilities. Scheduled passenger service – within province, country, and internationally was important from business, personal and economic perspectives. While city council and interested others, although some acknowledging the northern benefits, saw more economic and human value in proposed change and use of airports at Leduc – International (YEG) opened in 1960 and Villeneuve (VA or ZVL), in Sturgeon County near St. Albert, in 2000, as viable alternatives. – both now operated by Edmonton Airports as was Edmonton City Airport.
As an aside, another Edmonton-area airport at Cooking Lake (CEZ3) in Strathcona County was established in 1926 as a seaplane base and is now “Canada’s oldest operating public airport and Alberta’s only airport with both a floatplane base, Edmonton/Cooking Lake Water Aerodrome, and a conventional runway.” It is “operated on a non-profit basis entirely by volunteers”. In its beginning, it played its part in the “opening up of the North” with bush pilots, such as Punch Dickins Leigh Britnell, “Wop” May, Will Rogers, Roy Brown, and Max Ward – same ones who flew from Blatchford Field in the day. “Wop” May first used the seaplane base in 1929. From here he flew the Royal Mail, under contract to his Commercial Airways, into the Far North, all the way down Mackenzie River to Aklavik. Using a brand new Bellanca Pacemaker CH-300. Five Bellancas and a Lockheed Vega joined his Cooking Lake fleet by 1930.
It’s now time to head for the Peace River Airport. Many have only driven by an airport on their way to somewhere else. Others have only been to an airport to see an airshow. Airshows may be many things. One thing is for certain – in whatever skies they fly, they are a celebration of flight. They acclaim, not only aircraft, but also the men and women who fly them, and those who design their various components, and those who execute their designs and maintain them.
Two days in May 1949 – 28 and 29 (cancelled Sunday’s schedule), saw Peace River Airport and Regional Air Cadet Squadrons, including Peace River #124, host one of the first airshows in the region – not overlooking the barnstorming showmanship of the bush pilots, many of them First World War veterans, in the 1920s and ’30s. At the 1949 show, The Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) showed off some of its aircraft – a helicopter, two Harvard trainers, an Anson, and a Beech Expeditor out of which two parachutists jumped. To further indicate the importance of the air show was the fact Air Vice Marshall H. Campbell, acting officer commanding the Northwest Air Command, and other high-ranking Air Force and Air Cadet officers were present. As well, the 30-piece renowned RCAF Band provided entertainment.
In subsequent years, Peace River Airport has been the regional site of flight- related shows and displays, organized, and presented by Peace River Air Association, and sponsors such as Town of Peace River, the last of which was Sky Dives ’n Wheels Up in 2023. Some previous shows have featured Canadian Forces Snowbirds demonstration team (#431 Squadron). Currently, the aerobatic team is comprised of eight Canadair CT-114 Tutors.
For an air show to fly, or for that matter, an airport certified for landings and departures, it must meet many rules and regulations, including ever-increasing Transport Canada standards. Peace River airport we know now has met these standards for many years. It is not, however, the first Peace River Airport.
There are those, who dispute the popular belief the landing strip on River Lot 34 along Shaftesbury Trail was Peace River’s “first”. They say, there are indications the very first airstrip was about where the grounds of T.A. Norris Middle School and Glenmary Junior/Senior High School are, currently.
Nevertheless, the Shaftesbury Trail strip was just that – a strip of grass on some level land on north side of Shaftesbury Trail, about three miles from the town on River Lot 34. As we learned in earlier Ponderings, it was a base for Imperial Oil Company’s aerodrome during its Norman Wells oil drilling operation in 1920s. It was also used by “Wop” May and Grant McConachie for their aircraft.
According to some sources, the Shaftesbury Trail airstrip/airport value was diminished and terminated by a mishap that interrupted the progress of an aircraft, and almost the life of one of Grant McConachie’s pilots in 1937. It was after the near fatality, McConachie’s United Air Transport abandoned the Shaftesbury Trail site. This necessitated finding a less dangerous alternative for northern-related flights to refuel and store maintenance equipment. It is said, but not, yet, substantiated, the new site location on Highway 2 between Peace River and T-intersection with Highway 35 was recommended by “Wop” May.
The site of the proposed airport is part of Strong Creek School Section – N.W. quarter of Sec. 28-83-22 W5, five miles west of town. Approval, March 1937, of airport and licencing was only after “certain improvements”, including removal of brush and roots, as ordered by inspector of airways for civil aviation, Regina, W.S. Lawson. This, after inspection of other proposed sites with J.H. Johnston, district engineer, and Board of Trade officials. Runways were to be in “form of a cross enabling planes to take off regardless of the direction of the wind”. To enable easier access to airport, town council asked provincial government to continue gravelling roadway from top of George Hill (West Hill) already gravelled, to airport.
At the time of airport approval, Lawson, a Royal Air Force pilot during First World War discussed the formation of a local flying club with interested young men, depending on availability of an instructor and an airplane in the summer.
The “splendid new airport” as Record headlined it, was opened for service July 2, 1937. The first plane to land was a United Air Transport Boeing, piloted by Glen Waagen (two spellings found) with first air mail at airport. “With hardly a breath of wind blowing, the big plane made a beautiful and smooth landing on the northeast-southwest landing strip, using only about one-quarter of the length in making the landing.” When pilot was asked to comment on the airport runways, he replied: “OK. They are fine and smooth.” After unloading Peace River mail and taking on mail for western points, Waagen took off on north-south strip, using only a quarter of its length.
Although the inaugural mail service went well, work on airport was ongoing, “clearing and grubbing the eastern part of east-west landing strip”, expected to be graded soon to provide landing strips 200 yards wide, and “in three directions, each of them being more than half a mile in length and capable of being extended to three-quarters of a mile as occasion may require.” It was considered by “an inspector who recently visited the field as one of the best laid out in Western Canada”.
Town council has not ruled out future development. “The site is located on what will be the route of the electric power line west, so that the field can be flood lighted when night service is required”. The hangars and waiting room, with telephone will be at north end of diagonal landing strip on gravelled highway and whole field will be fenced to prevent intrusion by stray animals.
More about Peace River Airport in next Ponderings.
Sources: Peace River Remembers; Royal Aviation Museum of Western Canada; Canadian Encyclopedia; Bush Pilot With a Briefcase book review by John S. Goulet; May 1941 edition of Canadian Aviation; Peace River Museum, Archives and Mackenzie Centre files; Vancouver History: Grant McConachie by Rebecca Bollwitt; Famous, Should be Famous, and Infamous Canadians; Punch Dickins Flies the Barrens; Punch Dickins – Snow Eagle; Bush Pilots and Barnstormers – Punch Dickins; Bush Pilots, Canada’s Wilderness Daredevils, Peter Boer; Globe and Mail – How a flying entrepreneur helped forge Canada’s aviation industry; Max Ward; Quality Above All; Max Ward and His Maverick Airline by Hugh Quigley; Remarkable Albertans – Alberta Order of Excellence Legacy Collection; Amazing Flights and Flyers, Shirlee Smith Matheson; Wings Magazine; Alberta Teachers’ Association – David Kirkham; Globe and Mail; Record-Gazette; Flying Canucks
Beth Wilkins is a researcher at the Peace River Museum, Archives and Mackenzie Centre.
Postmedia is committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion. Please keep comments relevant and respectful. Comments may take up to an hour to appear on the site. You will receive an email if there is a reply to your comment, an update to a thread you follow or if a user you follow comments. Visit our Community Guidelines for more information.