Who cares about history?

Papa_Complex · 09-21-2011, 11:57 AM

OK, this shit really pisses me off. No less so, because I was planning on visiting the place, for the first time, tomorrow.

Air and Space Museum to become ice rink

Amy Dempsey Staff Reporter

It’s bad news for history buffs that could be good news for Toronto hockey players.

The Canadian Air and Space Museum is being kicked out of its Downsview Park home to make way for a four-pad ice rink.

Volunteers at the historic property were thrown into a state of panic on Tuesday when the museum was served an eviction notice and workers arrived to change the locks.

“I’m distraught. I’m ready to cry,” museum CEO Robert Cohen told the Star. “I can’t leave this place. I’m camping here. They’re gonna have to throw me out.”

The struggling museum owes property owner Downsview Park $100,000 in past due rent. Still, the eviction shocked volunteers, who say they were on the verge of turning things around after a bout of bad luck that included a failed fundraising campaign and mass management changes.

PHOTOS: Museum evicted

On Tuesday afternoon, they emptied the building of its artifacts — including a full-scale replica of the legendary Avro Arrow fighter jet — and prepared to vacate the property they have occupied for 12 years.

Staff members were under the impression they had to be out by the end of the day, but Downsview told the Star that tenants will have up to six months to vacate.

“I can’t comment on other people’s interpretations (of the notice),” said Downsview Park board chair David Soknacki. “We would welcome them in to have a discussion about their future.”

Soknacki said the change comes in part because the museum wasn’t drawing enough people to Downsview Park, the 672-acre site of a former military base that has been dubbed “Canada’s first national urban park.”

The new arena, which will be used for skating and hockey, is scheduled to open in September 2013.

The privately operated rink will run some city ice programs and offer 240 hours per year of community programs, which could prove to be good news for skaters and hockey players benched by Toronto’s ice shortage.

That doesn’t satisfy the volunteers. For them, the museum is a labour of love. They transformed it from a bare hanger into a warehouse filled with model airplanes ranging from the size of a fist to full-scale replicas.

The site itself is a part of history, built in 1929 as home to de Havilland Aircraft of Canada Ltd. — one of Canada’s most successful aircraft manufacturers.

Volunteers say there’s a hockey rink right down the street. “You could actually chip a golf ball at it,” said Campbell Young, 74, who has been volunteering at the museum for more than a decade.

“We were hoping things would turn around,” Young said. “If we can raise enough hell ... hopefully someone will skip in and at least give us a reprieve.”

azoomm · 09-21-2011, 12:03 PM

Trip · 09-21-2011, 12:03 PM

Ya'll have a space museum? Really? LOL... The way NASA is going we may be in the same shape soon.

RACER X · 09-21-2011, 12:03 PM

wow that sucks.

but 12 yrs isn't a very long time to have been there, i've been to our national aerospace museum when i was a teen...........a few yrs back, lol

Papa_Complex · 09-21-2011, 12:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Trip

Ya'll have a space museum? Really? LOL... The way NASA is going we may be in the same shape soon.

Check how many Canadians worked on the Apollo Programme

Papa_Complex · 09-21-2011, 12:09 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RACER X

wow that sucks.

but 12 yrs isn't a very long time to have been there, i've been to our national aerospace museum when i was a teen...........a few yrs back, lol

It's not our only such museum, in fact there's a warplane museum in Hamilton and another in Ottawa, but this is opne hell of a fine collection and on a historic site. Turning it into a hockey arena is a travesty.

Trip · 09-21-2011, 12:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Papa_Complex

Check how many Canadians worked on the Apollo Programme

So ya'll are bragging up some engineers and contractors from a program that had thousands of people working on it. Awesome. LOL There are people that worked on our programs all over the world because we had to have a lot of capcom bases to communicate especially in Mercury or Gemini, however it is still an American program. I don't see the point of having a museum based on technical contributions.

Homeslice · 09-21-2011, 12:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Trip

So ya'll are bragging up some engineers and contractors from a program that had thousands of people working on it. Awesome. LOL There are people that worked on our programs all over the world because we had to have a lot of capcom bases to communicate especially in Mercury or Gemini, however it is still an American program. I don't see the point of having a museum based on technical contributions.

Damn

anthonyk · 09-21-2011, 12:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Papa_Complex

It's not our only such museum, in fact there's a warplane museum in Hamilton

No kidding? I'll be in the neighborhood next week. I might have to stop by.

Papa_Complex · 09-21-2011, 12:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Trip

So ya'll are bragging up some engineers and contractors from a program that had thousands of people working on it. Awesome. LOL There are people that worked on our programs all over the world because we had to have a lot of capcom bases to communicate especially in Mercury or Gemini, however it is still an American program. I don't see the point of having a museum based on technical contributions.

This is what it's about: http://casmuseum.org/about.php

09-21-2011, 11:57 AM	#1
Papa_Complex Nomadic Tribesman Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Brampton, Canada Moto: '09 ER-6n Posts: 11,150	Who cares about history? OK, this shit really pisses me off. No less so, because I was planning on visiting the place, for the first time, tomorrow. Air and Space Museum to become ice rink Amy Dempsey Staff Reporter It’s bad news for history buffs that could be good news for Toronto hockey players. The Canadian Air and Space Museum is being kicked out of its Downsview Park home to make way for a four-pad ice rink. Volunteers at the historic property were thrown into a state of panic on Tuesday when the museum was served an eviction notice and workers arrived to change the locks. “I’m distraught. I’m ready to cry,” museum CEO Robert Cohen told the Star. “I can’t leave this place. I’m camping here. They’re gonna have to throw me out.” The struggling museum owes property owner Downsview Park $100,000 in past due rent. Still, the eviction shocked volunteers, who say they were on the verge of turning things around after a bout of bad luck that included a failed fundraising campaign and mass management changes. PHOTOS: Museum evicted On Tuesday afternoon, they emptied the building of its artifacts — including a full-scale replica of the legendary Avro Arrow fighter jet — and prepared to vacate the property they have occupied for 12 years. Staff members were under the impression they had to be out by the end of the day, but Downsview told the Star that tenants will have up to six months to vacate. “I can’t comment on other people’s interpretations (of the notice),” said Downsview Park board chair David Soknacki. “We would welcome them in to have a discussion about their future.” Soknacki said the change comes in part because the museum wasn’t drawing enough people to Downsview Park, the 672-acre site of a former military base that has been dubbed “Canada’s first national urban park.” The new arena, which will be used for skating and hockey, is scheduled to open in September 2013. The privately operated rink will run some city ice programs and offer 240 hours per year of community programs, which could prove to be good news for skaters and hockey players benched by Toronto’s ice shortage. That doesn’t satisfy the volunteers. For them, the museum is a labour of love. They transformed it from a bare hanger into a warehouse filled with model airplanes ranging from the size of a fist to full-scale replicas. The site itself is a part of history, built in 1929 as home to de Havilland Aircraft of Canada Ltd. — one of Canada’s most successful aircraft manufacturers. Volunteers say there’s a hockey rink right down the street. “You could actually chip a golf ball at it,” said Campbell Young, 74, who has been volunteering at the museum for more than a decade. “We were hoping things would turn around,” Young said. “If we can raise enough hell ... hopefully someone will skip in and at least give us a reprieve.” __________________ "Everything's better with pirates." - Lodge, "Dorkness Rising" http://www.morallyambiguous.net/

09-21-2011, 12:03 PM	#2
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09-21-2011, 12:03 PM	#4
RACER X AMA Supersport Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Richmond, Tx Moto: '10 Tuono Factory Posts: 4,569	wow that sucks. but 12 yrs isn't a very long time to have been there, i've been to our national aerospace museum when i was a teen...........a few yrs back, lol __________________ ΜΟΛΩΝ ΛΑΒΕ 2014 GROM! 181cc of FURY 2010 Aprilia Tuono Factory - SOLD 2009 SFV Gladius - SOLD 2008 Hayabusa - SOLD.

09-21-2011, 12:03 PM	#3
Trip Hold mah beer! Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: 80 Miles South of Moto Heaven Moto: 08 R1200GS Posts: 23,268	Ya'll have a space museum? Really? LOL... The way NASA is going we may be in the same shape soon.