TORONTO

The specially invited passengers on board the American Airlines DC-3 who arrived at Toronto’s new civic airport that hot summer day back in 1938 would be absolutely astonished to see how that little airfield has changed over the past 75 years.

Located a dozens or so miles northwest of the city and perched on the edge of a small farming village that the locals had named after their hometown, Malton in Yorkshire, England, officials initially speculated that this airport would simply be a fall back facility should the proposed main airfield at the west end of Toronto Island, and on the edge of Lake Ontario, be restricted due to unacceptable weather conditions.

Leaving the airliner the passengers, who were in town to visit the 1938 edition of the Canadian National Exhibition, made their way to the combined passenger terminal and weather office located in the former Chapman residence on the family farm, one of 13 properties that had been expropriated for the new airport.

Not to be upstaged by their American business acquaintances (well at least not too badly upstaged) officials of the one-year-old Trans Canada Air lines made a special “show the flag” appearance with their Lockheed Electra at the new Malton airport a few days later.

As the years passed it became obvious that the larger passenger planes needed to carry the ever increasing number of passengers opting for the plane versus the train as well as the greater flying distances pushed the smaller Island airport into the background. As a result Malton grew larger with more and longer runways (the original airport had two hard-surface and one grass landing strip) as well as continually updated passenger terminals and office, weather, parking and freight facilities.

Certainly the most innovative of the three terminals (termini?) that followed was the $30 million Aeroquay. Circular in shape, with a nine-story parking garage for 2,400 cars within that circle, this design allowed passengers to access their flights without having to endure a walk of more than 100 meters. What’s more, in those days before heavy security was in effect, the public had the chance to use the airport as a place of entertainment. I recall the times I would ride my bike out to Malton (as it would be known until 1970 when it became Toronto International) to simply park my bike and watch aircraft such as DC4s, Britannia’s, Viscounts, North Stars, Vanguards and Super Constellations come and every once in a while one of the new 707 or DC-8 jets would arrive – YOW!!

The Aeroquay was one of four similar structures planned for what would be renamed Toronto-Pearson International Airport in 1984. Interestingly that new title would honour Lester B. Pearson, Canada’s Prime Minister from 1963-1968 and the very person who officially opened the first and, as it would turn out, only Aeroquay terminal.

Why didn’t this revolutionary design work? Security concerns? The arrival of jumbo jets and the resulting unplanned for congestion? Or was the design just too…revolutionary? Donno. Sure was a great place for plane watching though.

Mike Filey’s Toronto”, co-hosted by Gene Stevens is now heard twice each weekend, on Saturday and Sunday at 12:30 noon, on Zoomer Radio am740.