The Canadian Bushplane Heritage Centre is bringing our Art on the Apron event back as part of our Dock Celebration Day! Come enjoy local artistry and craftsmanship out on the apron this summer! This is a rain-or-shine event so be sure to attend no matter the weather!
This 2-day Vendor Market Features
This vendor market will be during July 4th & 5th @ 10am – 4pm
Admission to the apron (our waterfront space) is by donation
This event is to raise funds for our Future Impact Project. Consider donating to help support the Bushplane Museum.
art on the apron
The Canadian Bushplane Heritage Centre is launching an auction of a custom Ontario Provincial Air Service (OPAS) inspired electric guitar made by Kevin McAuley. Earlier this year, Kevin gifted this custom piece to the Bushplane Museum to be auctioned off as part of our summer fundraiser.
Founder of Goulais River Guitars, Kevin creates unique musical instruments. With a lifelong passion for both music and aviation, Kevin first began his career as an Aircraft Mechanic in the early 1970s in the same hangar that now serves as the CBHC’s home.
This guitar is modelled after the famous Flying V guitar built by the Gibson Guitar Company. It was created using aircraft sheet metal and incorporating details used in the painting of the aircraft used by the OPAS. It is currently on display in the front lobby of the museum. If you are considering participating in the auction, here are the details:
To see the guitar in action and hear it played for the first time, buy a ticket to our Cory Marks concert. Country Rock singer Cory Marks will be playing it during his headliner concert on June 11th. Tickets are available now at bushplane.com/corymarks. Get yours before they are sold out!
All proceeds from the silent auction and Cory Marks concert support the Canadian Bushplane Heritage Centre’s Future Impact Project, which includes replacement of roofing material and other essential facility upgrades that ensure the long-term sustainability of the museum.
Starting during our inaugural Summer Takes Flight Festival, the Bushplane Museum will be having Food Truck Thursdays ALL summer! Experience the finest that local Soo Cuisine has to offer with different food trucks offering a variety of mouth-watering delicacies to enjoy. Delicious food and a great waterfront view, what’s not to love? This is a rain or shine event so be sure to come enjoy the food no matter the weather.
Each Thursday evening will have activities to enjoy while you eat, with the Cory Marks concert kicking off on the first day of our Food Truck Thursdays this summer.
Entry to the apron on June 11th is by Cory Marks Admission only. BUY YOUR TICKETS HERE.
For every other Food Truck Thursday, no admission is required, just come and have a great time!
June 11th @ 5pm – 7pm : Cory Marks
This event is to raise funds for our Future Impact Project. Consider donating to help support the Bushplane Museum.
CBHC presents a fun-filled 4-day summer festival fundraising event! This June, our Summer Takes Flight Festival is sure to be the highlight of the Soo! With different activities each day, you definitely don’t want to miss out! This is a rain-or-shine event so be sure to attend no matter the weather!
There’s something for everyone during our Summer Takes Flight festival;
Buy your tickets for the Cory Marks Concert, general admission is $40.00 & VIP tickets are $100. BUY YOUR TICKETS HERE
Buy your tickets to our Summer Art Programming classes at $5 per person & free with CBHC membership. BUY TICKETS
ALL OTHER EVENTS ART BY DONATION!
This event is to raise funds for our Future Impact Project. Consider donating to help support the Bushplane Museum.
Starting during our inaugural Summer Takes Flight Festival, the Bushplane Museum will be having Food Truck Thursdays ALL summer! Experience the finest that local Soo Cuisine has to offer with different food trucks offering a variety of mouth-watering delicacies to enjoy. Delicious food and a great waterfront view, what’s not to love? This is a rain or shine event so be sure to come enjoy the food no matter the weather.
Each Thursday evening will have activities to enjoy while you eat, with the Cory Marks concert kicking off on the first day of our Food Truck Thursdays this summer.
Entry to the apron on June 11th is by Cory Marks Admission only. BUY YOUR TICKETS HERE.
For every other Food Truck Thursday, no admission is required, just come and have a great time!
June 11th @ 5pm – 7pm : Cory Marks
This event is to raise funds for our Future Impact Project. Consider donating to help support the Bushplane Museum.
The Canadian Bushplane Heritage Centre is launching Art on the Apron as part of our inaugural Summer Takes Flight Festival! Come enjoy local artistry and craftsmanship out on the apron this summer! This is a rain-or-shine event so be sure to attend no matter the weather!
This 2-day Vendor Market Features
This vendor market will be during June 13th & 14th @ 10am – 4pm
Admission to the apron (our waterfront space) is by donation
This event is to raise funds for our Future Impact Project. Consider donating to help support the Bushplane Museum.
art on the apron
CBHC presents a fun-filled 4-day summer festival fundraising event! This June, our Summer Takes Flight Festival is sure to be the highlight of the Soo! With different activities each day, you definitely don’t want to miss out! This is a rain-or-shine event so be sure to attend no matter the weather!
There’s something for everyone during our Summer Takes Flight festival;
Buy your tickets for the Cory Marks Concert, general admission is $40.00 & VIP tickets are $100. BUY YOUR TICKETS HERE
All other events are admission by donation!
This event is to raise funds for our Future Impact Project. Consider donating to help support the Bushplane Museum.
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! 😉
