The renaming of the Toronto Island Airport to the Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport is being welcomed by the manager of the Billy Bishop Home and Museum in Owen Sound.
Mary Smith says this is going to further raise awareness of the Owen Sound National Historic site with travellers arriving in Toronto.
Smith also says since visitors from the US arrive at the Toronto Island Airport, this also will be a good way of letting them know about Canada’s famous world war one hero.
She says they now will be working with the Toronto Port Authority to provide information about Billy Bishop at the airport in the hopes of convincing travellers to visit Owen Sound and see Bishop’s boyhood home and the community where he grew up.
Smith is hoping some sort of plaque can be set up at the Airport explaining about Bishop and some information brochures about the Billy Bishop Home can be made available for travellers to pick up as well.
The Toronto Airport Authority says Billy Bishop has ties to the Island airport that go back to just after the first world war.
After the War Bishop and another Victoria Cross recipient, Billy Barker, ran a flight service from the Toronto harbour to Ontario’s cottage country.
During the Second World War, Mr. Bishop also helped recruit soldiers at the newly built Port George VI Island Airport, and flew military aircraft in and out of what would become the Toronto City Centre Airport.