Name/Title
Program for the Unveiling of the Ayling & Reid Cairn at Nancy IslandEntry/Object ID
2020.422.1Scope and Content
A copy of the program for the Unveiling of the Ayling & Reid Cairn at Nancy Island in the Village of Wasaga Beach on Saturday, August 28Context
In early years, the beachfront at Wasaga Beach was not only a main roadway it was also a natural runway for airplanes. In 1933, Captain James Mollison and his wife Amy Johnson attempted to fly their plane, the Seafarer II, from Wasaga Beach to Bagdad, Iraq in an attempt to break the long distance record. On the day they attempted to take off from the beachfront, high crosswinds made it difficult to take off. On their third attempt, the undercarriage of the plane was damaged preventing any further attempt to take off. The Mollison's sold the Seafarer II to James Ayling and Leonard Reid who restored and renamed the plane “Trail of the Caribou”. Ayling and Reid also planned to attempt to break the record for the longest flight. On the morning of August 8th, 1934, Ayling and Reid took off from Wasaga Beach in the Trail of the Caribou and made it to England. They encountered heavy fog and winds and used more fuel than they had anticipated. Although they did not break the world record they made the first direct non-stop flight from Canada to England.
The program lists the Master of Ceremonies as Major G. R. Lane, Coldwater President, Huronia Historic Sites Association.
Speakers listed are:
Wilbur Nash, Reeve of Village of Wasaga Beach
Mr. Julian Ferguson, M.P., Collingwood
Mr. William Robinson, M.P., Midland
Mr. R. W. Thom, Collingwood
Mr. Fred Landon, Chairman, Historic Sites & Monument Board of Canada, London
Mr. Wm. Cranston, Secretary, Huronia Historic Sites Association, Midland
Mr. J.R.K. Main, Assistant Controller of Civil Aviation for Canada, Ottawa
Address and Unveiling of Cairn:
Rev. E. Ralph Adye., Collingwood
Flypast at the Beach Front with:
R.C.A.F. Acrobatic Team from Centralia under Squadron Leader Wicken
De Haviland Display of Jet Aircraft Manoeuvres
Followed by a meeting of Huronia and Historic Sites Association in Wasaga Beach Community Hall
The program is dated Saturday, August 28.
The year of the unveiling of the cairn is thought to be 1954.Acquisition
Accession
2020.422Source or Donor
UnknownAcquisition Method
Gift