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The end of an era in Edmonton

Dec. 30, 2013, Edmonton – When two small planes made their last flight from runway 12/30 on Nov. 30, it was the end of an era of proud aviation history and divisive local politics.

The City Centre Airport, known as Blatchford Field when it opened in 1927 and later the Municipal Airport or the Muni, was the home to famous bush pilots such as Wilfrid (Wop) May. It helped solidify Edmonton’s position as gateway to the north.

“It was immensely important,” says local historian Ken Tingley, who wrote a historic assessment of the facility. “It really defined the city in many ways.”

Freight and passengers were flown north for mining, trapping, mail delivery, surveying and other development work. It was a major site for the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan during the Second World War. The first search-and-rescue unit was set up by May for when planes crashed in rough terrain. | READ MORE