August 20, 2026: The Canadian Harvard Aircraft Association (CHAA) is looking to create a veteran’s memorial garden at the Tillsonburg Regional Airport.
The Canadian Harvard Aircraft Association is looking to create a veteran’s memorial garden at the Tillsonburg Regional Airport.
Members of the not-for-profit, which operates out of a hangar at the facility just north of Tillsonburg, met with council to discuss the project on Aug. 10.
At no cost to the public, the group is hoping to create a garden alongside a full-scale replica of a Second World War Supermarine Spitfire that it secured earlier this year.
Scott Gillies, chair of Oxford Historical Society, who spoke alongside members of the association, noted the Tillsonburg airport played a significant role as a flight school of the British Commonwealth during the Second World War. Presently, the Town of Tillsonburg owns and operates the airport.
“Thousands of men from across Canada, from across the Commonwealth and from other allied nations learned how to fly (here),” he said. “From here, they were directed to other secondary schools for further education and training as fighter pilots, bomber pilots, as wireless gunners, navigators and mechanics. The skills they learned here determined their future.”
With its fleet of eight Harvard aircraft and one Yale, the association boasts the largest Harvard fleet in North America. It draws thousands of visitors each year during monthly events such as its Fly Days.
“The memorial garden’s splashes of colour, splashes of light will — throughout the seasons of bloom — remind us of the youth, who, in their prime, in their colour, came and went with a splash and with a flash,” Gillies continued.
“In winter, the same garden is a reminder of the stark realities of loss, but it can also bring forth hope for the future while remembering the past.”
The garden will also contain commemorative walkways, memorial bricks recognizing veterans and supporters, landscaping, seating areas, and educational displays that will provide visitors with an appreciation of Canada’s aviation history.
“What we really would like is a quiet place with a monument for reflection to honour veterans who served here,” said John Britton, vice-president of the Canadian Harvard Aircraft Association.
Council supported the project. Members of the Canadian Harvard Aircraft Association are expected to return for a deputation once plans for the garden’s location at the airport have been finalized.
Article by Jacob Robinson. Article courtesy of the Simcoe Reformer. Click here to read the Original Article.