In 1986 the small town of Nanton, Alberta was asked to store and care for a WWII Bomber (the Lancaster FM159). When they realized what a special and historic treasure this was, they built an aviation museum that was created and developed by local volunteers.
Since then, the museum has become world-renowned and has undergone a few additions so it could continue to attract visitors from around the globe. It also has hangars where intricate repairs are completed on multiple historical aircraft.
The next audacious goal is to expand with a new taxi-way, outdoor viewing area and hangar that will house ‘The Heavies’. The Heavies include the Lancaster FM159 and a newly restored Halifax bomber; the backbone and most successful bombers used by RAF & Bomber Command in WW2.
The Halifax 57 Rescue (Canada) organization has been recovering world war two planes from around the world since 1994 and have embarked on a world-wide quest to recover another Halifax for the Bomber Command Museum. They have already acquired parts of the plan on the island of Malta, south of Italy, in a Belgium swamp and in British scrap yards and rural sites. All the Halifax sections are being restored by Knox Tech. Inc., a rebuild shop in Ottawa, Ontario but soon they will need to move the plane an complete restoration at it’s final home in Nanton, Alberta.
I had an amazing day trip to the museum with my twenty year old son. He didn’t know much about Bomber Command and the young men who served. When he heard the four engines running on the massive Lancaster Bomber, he really got it. We had a moment when I said, above the engines, ‘Imagine I was saying goodbye to you right now and you were leaving to serve in war on the other side of the world?’ This truly resonated with him.
Museum guest, Wendy from Calgary