Long Branch Aerodrome was an

airfield An aerodrome (Commonwealth English) or airdrome (American English) is a location from which aircraft flight operations take place, regardless of whether they involve air cargo, passengers, or neither, and regardless of whether it is for publ ...

located west of

Toronto Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the anch ...

Ontario Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central Ca ...

and just east of

Port Credit Port Credit is a neighbourhood in the south-central part of the City of Mississauga, Ontario, Canada, located at the mouth of the Credit River on the north shore of Lake Ontario. Its main intersection is Hurontario Street and Lakeshore Road ...

, now

Mississauga Mississauga ( ), historically known as Toronto Township, is a city in the Canadian province of Ontario. It is situated on the shores of Lake Ontario in the Regional Municipality of Peel, adjoining the western border of Toronto. With a popu ...

, and was

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by to ...

's first

aerodrome An aerodrome (Commonwealth English) or airdrome (American English) is a location from which aircraft flight operations take place, regardless of whether they involve air cargo, passengers, or neither, and regardless of whether it is for publi ...

.Development of Canadian Airports
/ref> The airport was opened by the Curtiss Flying School, part of the

Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Company Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Company (1909 – 1929) was an American aircraft manufacturer originally founded by Glenn Hammond Curtiss and Augustus Moore Herring in Hammondsport, New York. After significant commercial success in its first decade ...

, as a pilot training school in 1915. In 1917 the airport was run by the

Royal Flying Corps "Through Adversity to the Stars" , colors = , colours_label = , march = , mascot = , anniversaries = , decorations ...

(RFC), and then closed in 1919. It is recognized by the existence of Aviation Road in the

Lakeview, Mississauga Lakeview is a neighbourhood in Mississauga in the Region of Peel, just east of Port Credit, which amalgamated into the Town of Mississauga in 1968. It is located in the extreme southeastern corner of the city, along the northern shores of Lake O ...

community and a historical plaque. The aerodrome was one of several in the Toronto area, including three near Downsview. For many years it was the site of

Ontario Power Generation Ontario Power Generation Inc. (OPG) is a Crown corporation and "government business enterprise" that is responsible for approximately half of the electricity generation in the province of Ontario, Canada. It is wholly owned by the government ...

's Lakeview Generating Station. As of 2009 it became a

brownfield site In urban planning, brownfield land is any previously developed land that is not currently in use. It may be potentially contaminated, but this is not required for the area to be considered brownfield. The term is also used to describe land prev ...

awaiting redevelopment.

History

The airfield was opened on May 20, 1915, by Curtiss Aeroplanes and Motors Company for the Royal Naval Air Service and the

Royal Flying Corps "Through Adversity to the Stars" , colors = , colours_label = , march = , mascot = , anniversaries = , decorations ...

. Aircraft such as the Curtiss JN-4 "Jenny" and the Curtiss F-type flying boats soon became a common sight at the airfield.

John Alexander Douglas McCurdy John Alexander Douglas McCurdy (2 August 1886 – 25 June 1961) was a Canadian aviation pioneer and the 20th Lieutenant Governor of Nova Scotia from 1947 to 1952. Early years Son of inventor Arthur Williams McCurdy and born in Baddeck, Nova ...

, the first person to fly an airplane in the

British Empire The British Empire was composed of the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates, and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom and its predecessor states. It began with the overseas possessions and trading posts e ...

, was hired as the airport's first manager. The airport had a small corrugated metal hangar with space for three small aircraft Canada’s First Aerodrome: Long Branch Curtiss Aviation School
by Liwen Chen and a barnhouse. There was no runway, but a grass/dirt strip for landing. In January 1917, the newly designated

Royal Flying Corps Canada The Royal Flying Corps Canada (RFC Canada) was a training organization of the British Royal Flying Corps located in Canada during the First World War. It began operating in 1917. Background As the war progressed, Great Britain found that i ...

, opened the RFC training centre at Long Branch. The Long Branch training centre also provided instruction on flying boats at nearby Hanlan's Point on

Toronto Islands The Toronto Islands are a chain of 15 small islands in Lake Ontario, south of mainland Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Comprising the only group of islands in the western part of Lake Ontario, the Toronto Islands are located just offshore from the ...

, the first seaplane base in Canada. By July 1917, the flight school relocated to Armour Heights Field. Long Branch became the Cadet Ground Training School for the Royal Flying Corps. Both the school and the aerodrome closed in 1919. During

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

, the former aerodrome served initially as

Non-Permanent Active Militia The Non-Permanent Active Militia (NPAM) was the name of Canada's part-time volunteer military force from 1855 to 1940. The NPAM (also called "the Militia" though that term could also encompass the full-time standing army known as the Permanent ...

's No 21 Training Centre and then as an army small arms training centre. After the war, the Lakeview Armoury was established on the site, but was demolished in the 1950s. In 1967 Richmond College, predecessor to Canada Christian College, established their first campus here.

References

External links

Historical plaque
{{authority control History of Mississauga Defunct airports in Ontario Aviation history of Canada

History

See also

References

External links