A new historic route is coming to Prince Edward County showcasing a famous part of Canadian aerospace history.
Prince Edward County councillors heard a presentation from Chris Palmer, supervisor of Museums & Cultural Services, about the Arrow Trail project during Tuesday’s council meeting.
Arrow Trail is a driving route linking Belleville, Quinte West, and Prince Edward County commemorating the Avro Arrow and the team behind the recent Raise the Arrow Project. The project involves several partnering organizations including the National Air Force Museum of Canada, 8 Wing Trenton, Base31, The Regimental Museum and the South Shore Joint Initiative.
The Avro Arrow was an experimental aircraft developed in the 1950s. It was a supersonic interceptor jet, built for the Royal Canadian Air Force, but the project was cancelled by the Diefenbaker government before it could enter service.
During its testing, the Avro Arrow was praised for its power and beauty. It was faster than any jet of its class, reaching speeds of nearly twice the speed of sound and an altitude of 53,000 feet. The first flight of the Avro Arrow in March of 1958 broke four different speed records.
The cancellation of the project saw all the prototypes and their plans destroyed, and a loss of over 25,000 aerospace industry jobs in Canada.
Raise the Arrow was a recent initiative to hunt for Avro Arrow flight test models at the bottom of Lake Ontario. The search lasted from 2017 to 2020, and found both a Delta Test Vehicle that was recovered and put on display at the Canadian Aviation and Space Museum in Ottawa and one of the final five test models, which was a near replica of a completed Arrow.
The Arrow Trail links several locations where people can learn about the Avro Arrow and its part of Canadian history. The route is intended to be driven as it has stops in multiple municipalities.
The logo for the Arrow trail project.
The trail includes stops at the National Air and Space Museum in Quinte West to learn about the aircraft itself, the Mariner’s Park Museum where visitors can learn about the Raise the Arrow campaign, Monarch Point Conservation Reserve to visit the site where test models of the Avro Arrow were launched, Base31 which served as a commonwealth pilot training school that housed test models of the Avro Arrow, Macaulay Heritage Park, and The Regimental Museum.
The trail is planned to launch sometime in late 2024, to coincide with the RCAF’s 100 year anniversary.
While the project is seeking council approval, there was no request for funding or any financial obligations.
Councillor Kate MacNaughton was supportive of the initiative and suggested looking at transit options in the future to help keep traffic along the route manageable.
“It’s such compelling history and it’s so exciting to see some work being done,” said Councillor MacNaughton. “I love what I’m hearing about the developments of the different locations, everything looks exciting, and I look forward to seeing some value being brought to mariners.”
Council received the presentation, and directed staff to both seek support for the project from Belleville and Quinte West and to work with the other municipalities on the trail to help prepare for the launch in 2024.
Two proposed routes for Arrow Trail to take through Belleville, Prince Edward County, and Quinte West.
