New Alberta Flying Heritage Museum
Edmonton, AB Alberta Aviation Museum President Marvin Kowalchuk announced the Alberta Flying Heritage Museum (AFHM) last night, that thanks to the generous support and assistance of Edmonton Airports, is locating at Villeneuve Airport in the Greater Edmonton region.
The Alberta Flying Heritage Museum will be an all new museum, separate and distinct from the current Alberta Aviation Museum. The (2) Museums will complement each other in collections and operations rather than compete.
The Alberta Flying Heritage Museum will focus on the broad history of Central and Northern Alberta, while the current Alberta Aviation Museum will very specifically focus on the history of Edmonton and Blatchford Field.
The Alberta Flying Heritage Museum will be an active living museum with flying aircraft from Alberta’s history and create a home for active flying events and guest aircraft visits that were part of the Alberta Aviation Museum up to this point.
The Alberta Aviation Museum will become a more traditional static museum focused on exhibits, education and research with an eye to the historical detail of Edmonton’s Story.
None of this would be possible without the generous support and encouragement of Edmonton Airports and VP Commercial Development Myron Keehn helping secure a site for this to happen.
According to Alberta Aviation Museum Executive Director Tom Hinderks the AFHM is looking forward to being a key partner at Villeneuve Airport and in Sturgeon County creating a new Historic attraction with a living experience as well as educational and tourism opportunities in Sturgeon County, St. Albert and the surrounding communities.
We also thank Transport Canada/Public Works Canada for their donation of a 26,000 sq ft dismantled building, from Edmonton City Centre Airport, that will be delivered to the Villeneuve Airport site this spring.
The donation of this building and the generous support of Edmonton Airports shows their dedication to preserving our aviation history and a commitment to making Villeneuve Airport Western Canada’s premier General Aviation airport.
The Alberta Flying Heritage Museum is looking forward to playing an important role in helping develop the Villeneuve Airport into Western Canada’s premier General Aviation airport as well as creating this new living museum and attraction.
The aircraft, artifacts and equipment from the AAMA and these donations are just the start of what it will take to create the Alberta Flying Heritage Museum vision.
We will be looking to work with the Federal, Provincial and County governments as well as Corporate Alberta and the Public to raise the Capital to assemble the donated building and the other needs to bring this facility to life as quickly as possible for the benefit of the region.