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Ontario has a deep connection to bush flying and aviation history. Across the province, several museums celebrate the role of bushplanes in remote travel, firefighting, and industry. These museums preserve historic aircraft, tell the stories of pioneering pilots, and offer interactive experiences for visitors. If you love aviation history, these bushplane history museums are worth a visit.
The Canadian Bushplane Heritage Centre, also known as the Bushplane Museum, is the most well-known bushplane museum in Ontario. Located in a former Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources hangar, the museum sits on the St. Marys River waterfront in Sault Ste. Marie.
This museum showcases over 30 aircraft, including bushplanes and water bombers used for forest firefighting. The collection includes the famous de Havilland Beaver, a rugged aircraft built for flying into Canada’s most remote areas. Another highlight is the CL-215 water bomber, which played a critical role in fighting wildfires.
Visitors can explore interactive exhibits like “Wildfires! A Firefighting Adventure”, where they can experience what it’s like to battle forest fires. The museum also has a Flight Adventure Simulator, giving visitors the chance to “fly” a bushplane.
With hands-on activities, real aircraft, and a focus on Northern Ontario’s aviation past, the Bushplane Museum is a must-visit destination.
While primarily focused on military aircraft, the Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum also showcases bushplanes that supported Canada’s northern industries. The museum features more than 40 aircraft, including World War II bombers, Cold War jets, and bushplanes used for transport and firefighting.
One of the highlights is the Noorduyn Norseman, a Canadian-built aircraft used in bush flying operations. Designed in the 1930s, it was used for transporting goods, medical supplies, and passengers to remote locations.
For a truly unique experience, visitors can book a flight in a historic aircraft, including some used in early bush flying.
While not in Ontario, The Hangar Flight Museum in Calgary features aircraft with strong ties to Ontario’s bush flying history. The museum’s collection includes the de Havilland Tiger Moth and Beechcraft Expeditor, both used in training and bush flying operations across Canada.
Many of these aircraft were first tested and flown in Ontario before being used across the country. The museum also has artifacts related to Canada’s early bush pilots and the challenges they faced flying in remote regions.
Toronto was once home to the Toronto Aerospace Museum, which housed bushplanes and early Canadian aircraft. While the museum closed in 2011, it played a key role in preserving aviation history in Ontario. Some of its exhibits, including the Avro Arrow replica, have since moved to other museums.
Many of the bushplanes that were once displayed here can now be found in other aviation museums across Ontario.
Ontario’s vast wilderness made bushplanes essential for transportation, exploration, and firefighting. From the early days of the de Havilland Beaver to modern water bombers, these aircraft helped shape the province’s forestry, mining, and tourism industries.
Museums like the Canadian Bushplane Heritage Centre preserve this history by offering interactive exhibits, historical aircraft, and engaging experiences for visitors of all ages.
If you’re interested in aviation history, a trip to one of these museums will give you a deeper appreciation for bush flying in Canada.
But we happen to think ours is one of the best Bushplane History Museums in Ontario….if not the BEST! 😉
50 Pim Street Sault Ste. Marie, ON Canada P6A 3G4
