When the First World War was over, those who had served as
pilots during the war returned and wanted to continue flying.
Many opportunities were available to these men as there were
surplus aircraft being sold by the government to encourage the
development of a new commercial aviation industry in Canada.
Civil aviation continued to develop as new adaptations, such
as skis, were introduced. The airplane was seen as the
solution for transportation to remote places like the Canadian
wilderness and the high north. Companies like Imperial Oil began
experimenting with using aircraft to get to remote oil
exploration sites in the Northwest Territories. Prospectors
could more easily travel to new places to discover fresh mineral
deposits, and the minerals they discovered, like gold, could be
more easily transported south.
New airfields were developed, like the Blatchford municipal
airfield in Edmonton, which became the first official "Air
Harbour" in Canada. Other air facilities, such as beacons, were built
to assist in aircraft navigation. Trans-Canada routes were
developed to provide airmail services.
To continue the growth of aviation in Canada, the federal
government supported the development of flying clubs to train
pilots. The emergence of such clubs assisted in increasing the
popularity of aviation across the nation.
new aviation companies continued to expand the services they
provided, from the popular summer fair demonstrations, to
carrying passengers, mail, commercial cargo, rescue services and
carrying needed medical supplies to remote communities. These
early years brought forth a new aviation industry in
Canada, but it remained a struggle for many of the fledgling
commercial airlines to stay in business.
Wartime Airfield Construction Part 1: Building Up the Workforce - Walter Bennett
Mr. Bennett describes the airport construction projects in Edmonton during the early stages of the war.
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