ESTEVAN - The latest tribute to the victims of the plane crash of 1946 south of Estevan is nearing completion.
A cairn is going to be installed very close to the site of the crash, which occurred on Sept. 15, 1946, and killed 20 pilots with the Royal Canadian Air Force and a ground crew member.
The concrete installation is located adjacent to the access road for the Woodlawn Regional Park’s Boundary Dam Recreation Site. The concrete structure is already in place, and is just waiting for the engraved plaque.
Marie Calder, who has been working for several years to renew interest in the crash and the men who died, said a small committee – Malcolm and Lois Wilson of Regina, and Allison Holzer of Estevan – decided a cairn would be a fitting and permanent tribute.
“This is the second largest airplane crash in Canadian history in terms of the number of people lost. It happened in Estevan. And yet there was really nothing to mark that. We went ahead and started our search,” said Calder.
The plaque is being engraved. The committee hopes it will be in place soon, but there’s no guarantee it would be ready before Remembrance Day.
The faces, names and ranks of the 21 airmen who died will be engraved onto the plaque. Each victim’s engraving will be five inches. Measuring four feet by four feet, the plaque has a fair amount of room.
“It’s going to be quite substantial, and because it’s being lasered on pure black, it’s going to stand out beautifully,” said Calder. “So that goes around the perimeter of the plaque, and then in the centre, we have the description of what happened.”
She expects it will be a great tribute when it’s complete.
Calder noted that William (Bill) Perry was one of the victims of the crash. In the 1980s, Perry’s son Jack travelled to Estevan with an uncle to see what they could learn about the crash. They found little as far as a tribute, other than a windsock marking the site.
Calder noted that Perry isn’t the only person to come to Estevan to see the crash site, only to find nothing honouring a loved one.
The cairn is located on two acres of land that was owned by SaskPower. Malcolm Wilson, who works for the Crown corporation, said he sent in a request to president Mike Marsh about the area. Not long afterwards, he received a response from another person in the company that SaskPower would be willing to help.
SaskPower also provided the plaque for the tribute.
The City of Estevan has said they would take ownership of the cairn, and provided a structure so the plaque could be mounted. And the RM of Estevan has built an approach so people can drive into the two-acre parcel.
There has also been a discussion with the Ministry of Highways and Infrastructure to install a point of interest sign on Highway 47, telling people where to turn.
Calder noted an event is being planned for July 8 and 9, 2022, when the plaque will be unveilled, in the presence of the 21 airmen’s families. Representatives from most families are expected to be in attendance, and it will be open to the public.
“We’re hoping to make this an event that will bring some closure to a lot of these people, and hopefully build some friendships out of this disaster,” said Calder.
The dates of July 8 and 9 were chosen due to the proximity of the Moose Jaw International Air Show. They thought it would be great to have the event in Estevan on a Friday and Saturday, and then if there’s a Moose Jaw Air Show, and the families want to attend, then they can.
The committee hoped to have something this year to mark the 75th anniversary of the plane crash, but COVID put a halt to those plans.
