Residents with military backgrounds visit memorial museum
Thursday, November 2, 2006 -- Natalie Miller
Examining model planes, Maplewood resident Thomas McNaughton was in his element.

A history with the Royal Canadian Air Force, Thomas had the opportunity to explore his past during a recent trip to the Royal Canadian Air Force Memorial Museum in Trenton.

The Maplewood resident hadn’t been on many outings and a family member suggested he would likely enjoy a trip to the museum.

“Two of the folks I took with me served in the Air Force,” says Chris Charlebois, life enrichment co-ordinator at the Brighton long-term care home.

Thomas “used to work on the planes,” says Chris, noting he was able to name the different models.

Resident Julie Reid was a nurse in the Air Force. “She really enjoyed it,” says Chris. As well, resident Irene Lloyd’s son was in the Air Force and her grandson currently serves in the Air Force.

“It brought back a lot of memories for her as well,” notes Chris.

With access to the OMNI van during the past two weeks, she was able to arrange the trip into Trenton.

In the museum, “the long and proud history of Canada's Air Forces is preserved and publicized,” the museum website says. It houses aircraft displays, artifacts and equipment and tells of the contributions made by men and women in military aviation. It is the only one in Canada, which depicts the complete history of Canada’s Air Force rather than that of specific units and activities, the website states. The displays range from depicting Canadian involvement in the Royal Flying Corps and the Royal Air Force in the First World War to the Air Force of today.