Wings from the Past

Canadair C-54 GM Northstar 1 ST. The last of it's kind. Located at the Canadian National Aviation Museum in Ottawa, Ontario, July 2005.

Wings from the Past

Halifax A MkVII NA337 under restoration at the Trenton RCAF Memorial Museum, Trenton Ontario, July 2005








Engine No. 1. One of four Bristol Hercules XVI, 14-cylinder radial piston engines rated at 1,615 hp. With a total of 6,460 hp, the Halifax had a maximum speed of 282 mph at 13,500 ft.

Unlike the Avro Lancaster that managed to find post war work, the Handley-Page Halifax was scrapped en-masse. None of the aircraft were saved from destruction.
Halifax NA337 is one of two aircraft that was ditched in a lake and is still mostly intact and thus can be restored to its former glory. There may be more Halifax’s out there but, NA337 is the only one being brought back to life.

Along the Road in Ontario, Part 4

Along highway 11 is a plaque and this large sign that marks the approximate border of the Arctic and Atlantic watershed. North of here all rivers and streams flow into the Arctic Ocean via James Bay and Hudson Bay. To the south all rivers and streams flow into the Atlantic Ocean via the Great Lakes and the St. Lawrence River.

Northern Frontiers, Ontario

Downtown Moosonee, Ontario, July 2005

Once in Moosonee you realize that the big city, which is roughly over a thousand kilometres away, is far behind you. This frontier town is still relatively isolated in that everything comes or goes mainly by rail and less often by air. The only road that leads to Moosonee is the railroad!
















The northern most tip of Shipsands Island, mouth of the Moose river, July 2005

Near the mouth of the Moose River, Shipsands Island slopes toward the bay and looses almost all form of vegetation. This Island has been designated as a Waterfowl Sanctuary and it also has the distinction of being the largest island in the Moose River.



James Bay from the mouth of the Moose river, July 2005

James Bay is the starting point of my arctic exploration. My future plans include a visit to Churchill Manitoba to see the Polar Bears and a visit to Iqaluit in Nunavut.