Tuesday 24 February 2009

Remembering the Silver Dart

It's ironic that a few days ago Canadians had to remember the 50th anniversary of the destruction of a great plane, of our aviation industry, and of political stupidity of the highest order, and on February 23rd, we should celebrate the 100th anniversary of powered flight in Canada and in the then British Empire. This first flight took place on February 23rd, 1909 in Baddeck, Nova Scotia, near one of the homes of Alexander Graham Bell, whose Aviation Experimental Association had developed the Silver Dart. It was flown on Bras d'Or Lake near Baddeck on Cape Breton Island by J.A.D. McCurdy, a Canadian engineer who was a member of Bell's Aviation Experimental Association.


Just to show you that I'm not totally prejudiced against the Conservative Party, which is of course a perfect target for any intelligent human being, the Liberal government of the day refused to put any money into the development of Canadian aviation, demonstrating that none of the problems of small-mindedness which are plaguing Canada today are new, they've been with us for well over a hundred years. Oh Canada...

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