WIX Archives

Re: Calling the Canadian WIX-department

Posted by Tony Jarvis on Thu Dec 11, 2003 12:45:52 PM

In reply top Calling the Canadian WIX-department posted by Cees Broere on Thu Dec 11, 2003 10:30:00 AM

Yes there is interest here Cees but the problem you have is location. As you know, we had 12 Yorks in Canada and all but one made it out of here. As for the rest, I've just about seen and photographed what remains of most of them.
Dan took those photos about a week after I was flown by helicopter into the site on the shores of Hall Lake. While there I made a video and took lots of photos myself.
The Government of Nunavut has granted permission to my Association to recover it, if we can. The closest settlement is 30 N.M. away and there are no roads. About the best you could do with HMX is to disassemble it on site in the Summer, probably July/August, wait until the lake freezes over then 'cat-train' it to Hall Beach. Then you would have to get it on the sea-lift the following summer to Montreal. And then....and then...and then...etc.., I think you get my drift. It can be done for sure but the logistics are large and expensive.
The famous The Pas York of Transair was burned down back in the 70's I believe and it's remains are on private property just outside town. If you didn't know it was a York, you would never be able to tell.
Most of all the others have long been bull-dozed under or just plain burned.
There is still one relatively intact example here in the NWT, albiet it is underwater and the fuselage is broken just aft of the trailing edge.
Besides Ventura's I also seem to, over the years, developed an interest in these Yorks as well. So hopefully sometime in the future I will be able to act on them!

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