Survey wants feedback on Lancaster Bomber future location

The Lancaster bomber under restoration at the Canadian Aviation Museum is seen in this photo taken on April 13, 2023. (Gary Archibald/CTV News Windsor)

The City of Windsor wants to hear from the community on the future location of the Lancaster Bomber FM 212.

The plane is scheduled to be restored by 2026.

You can let the city know what you think by taking the short online survey or attending the public information centre (PIC).

The survey will be open between June 8 and June 29 and the PIC will be held on Wednesday, June 14, in the lobby of City Hall (350 City Hall Square West) from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m.

City staff will be at the PIC to answer questions, provide copies of the survey and share information boards. A formal presentation is not planned.

Results from the public engagement will be shared in a future report to City Council.

History of the Lancaster Bomber FM 212

In 1964, the City of Windsor and a group of former Royal Air Force (RAF) and Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) veterans purchased a Lancaster Bomber FM 212, built in July 1945, from the Canadian Government. The Lancaster was displayed in Jackson Park for decades as a memorial to the men and women who served the RAF and RCAF.

After 40 years of being exposed to the outdoor elements, it was removed for restoration in 2005. On Nov. 1, 2016, the City entered into a Stewardship Agreement with the Canadian Historical Aircraft Association (CH2A), now referred to as the Canadian Aviation Museum (CAM), to carry out the approved restoration plan for the Lancaster Bomber FM 212. The final phase of the restoration is assembly, which requires a space large enough to host the aircraft with the nose, cockpit, wheels, bomb doors, mid-upper turret, wings and four engines, props, spinners and cowlings re-attached. Final assembly is anticipated to be ready to commence in the second quarter (April) of 2026.