McGill Field
(S ½ 19-11-12)
Brandon, Manitoba
Designation Date: August 28, 2000
Designation Authority: The City of Brandon
Construction of the airplane hangar began in November of 1940 and was completed and opened for service on May 10th, 1941. The building was one of over six hundred hangars erected by the federal government between 1940 and 1943 and is one of only a few surviving in Canada. The hangar was built by Bird Construction of Winnipeg.
The building is associated with the training of military personnel during World War II under the Commonwealth Air Training Plan. Aircrew personnel from Australia, New Zealand, England and Canada were all trained under the Plan. Canada was chosen as the training country because of its preferable climate and because of the fact that it was far from the dangers of enemy activity. The Plan was referred to by Winston Churchill as Canada’s greatest contribution to the Allied victory.
The hangar now houses the Commonwealth Air Training Plan Museum. It is the only hangar known to be committed to housing artifacts of the Plan.