‘ A2- The 1 Terrace Standard, Wednesday, August 25, 2004 Historical Bristol Freighter, off to. an Alberta museum — By JEFF NAGEL ‘IT HAS carried race. horses” and sheep.. Ambassadors ‘and, gold dust. ‘And it will very defini- tely be: the end of an- ‘avia- lion, ‘era. ‘when. the. last: Bristol Freighter : -waggles ‘its wings, at! Terrace’ one more .time-en route: to its final resting place. The mighty cargo ‘plane | hasn't been flown i in early five years, » : “But mechanics are at work getting It ready: to fly, . to” Wetaskiwin,- Alberta,” where the Bristal is.to -be- come an. exhibit at. the : _Reynolds- Alberta Muse.” Hawkair : ¢o- founder: " Paul Hawkins ‘is Neading the effort’ in ‘a hangar at.. the. airport to: restore” ‘the craft for.its final flight.’ “’ “There will -be alot, of - very sad. people “around: Terrace who will. be sorry < : to sec it- leave," Hawkins: said.” won, "We've got pilots work-- ing for us flying Dash-8s ° who flew: ‘this thing, origin: ally.” , Bulbous-nosed and: bat: tleship grey,’ the.. unusual - twin-prop: CATO ‘plane seems. ‘to: barely: hang: | in. the air when: it flies, -- - “This is. ‘the only ° air. worthy one. in. existence,” o Hawkins. says. eae Built..at'a factory. in England. in 1952, the .un ique.cargo ‘planes ‘were or iginally’ adapted. from::a-.tunway " was’. destroyed, Second. World. . War, ‘bom-" - ber design 10 carty.. passen- . gers-and: their ‘cars. across: the English Channel. - The. plane’ was i itially © one of eight: sent: ta. ‘New Zealand, where it had: a: varied career first. with ‘the © New Zealand Air, : Fete. -_ “That'll cost an addition- _al, $900,000- but city -offi- ; cials are predictiig..a pay-.. back in. the form:of lower : annual operating’ costs. This money will ‘comme «. oy “ from an existing . city’ Tes)! serve -fund’.and. from a’, combined . city- -regional: - district borrowing. plan. “The city has the: option . of going to referéndum..to borrow any shortfall-for-the’- sportspléx - constriction. it-. self, but-it’s. not something Talstra is entertaining... “Em nota fan of that = ‘and: { ‘think:I campaigned (for: mayor] against. that," " * said Talstra.. ; “Tm not in favour of | us-. _- ing taxpayers’ ‘money ‘for. * this, particularly: ot: at this time: -The ‘taxpayer. is ‘ale: ‘ready: enough under: the » gun anyway. - Tritt oa “Tite may. be: difficult to. use all of the in-kind. dona~ tions © amounting °*to: $400,000" cin, Jabout* and’ material, says city’ admin-,” istrator Ron ‘Paole. “So much'deperids upon . ‘the final: design and. the contractors," -said : Poole. last week..." Wel can’t ‘guarantee we can. se all Of ih” . “Poole: ‘said > haul. mine supplies’ ‘and " a gold concentrate. one more: time. . ; “ro __ ly ended the” néxt.-year | d ‘when the. company bought =. its: first.Dash: 8 and ‘begani.: . ‘passenger-service: to Man-. oO. make] ; : That. company. crashed one’ of: the ‘planes . before”. _going broke: ‘A. second’ ‘Bristol. was: wheré it, too, : -crashed; . “And. ‘the third, -acqiiired oy by. Hawkair to. make mine: : : runs, crashed -at’ the ‘same~ “Bronson: Creék mine. air-. ° “strip as the first: when. ‘part. of. its “undercarriage ‘Baye At ihat time the Bristol . . t the airport was a skies over: northern B. “Its. Tait ‘flight’ ‘was ‘Octo ; , -1999.. The; Bristol's” with ‘Haivkair official: . ° to. give the: plane’ ‘to “the:? : — “Resional au : “Port, but they” declined: “He. said‘ donating it to the museum in. Wetaski- * * win. will: qualify. fora féd- “eral “tax” credit: worth: US - $300,000 to: Hawkair.... - Tt ‘Was’ the. nearest, mu credit. © 2s. “We. didn’ ‘send it-all the’ jewae to” Otta-: _wa_ because - nobody from : = heré ‘would. see. it. again,” vhe said: ‘