Lancaster greeted by large crowds in Goderich

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GODERICH – Aviation and history lovers packed the Goderich Regional Airport and backed up traffic for kilometres on Friday, June 14, to get a glimpse of the return of the Second World War-era Lancaster FM213.

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The Lancaster touched down at the airport exactly 60 years after it first landed in Goderich, when it was bought by the Goderich legion and displayed as a war memorial from 1964 until 1977. The bomber was later acquired by the Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum in Hamilton, where it was restored over a 10-year period before it returned to the skies in 1988.

It is one of only two airworthy Lancasters left in the world.

While the plane, built in 1945, was never used in service overseas, it was used for maritime patrol and search and rescue missions in Canada before its retirement in 1963, Goderich legion president Randy Carroll told the crowd June 14.

After opening ceremonies, the crowd lined up to get a look inside the plane.

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Goderich Mayor Trevor Bazinet told Postmedia he was “blown away” by the amount of people who attended the event. He gave credit to Carroll and his committee of volunteers for putting everything together.

“It’s a huge part of Canadian history,” Bazinet said of the Lancaster, saying it was an incredible experience to see it up close.

Carroll said he was pleased with the turnout and said people travelled from as far as western British Columbia and Nova Scotia to get a glimpse of the plane.

“It’s been great,” he said.

After the June 14 landing, the day continued with tours, a legion dinner and entertainment. The Lancaster was scheduled to take a local flight at 11 a.m. June 15 before departing.

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