Updated Media Advisory: Toronto Port Authority, Canadian War Museum and Billy
Bishop Home and Museum to display historic military artefacts at Billy Bishop
Toronto City Airport

TORONTO, Feb. 19 /CNW/ - The Toronto Port Authority, in co-operation with the Canadian War Museum, will be displaying historic military items from the First and Second World War at the Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport on Monday, February 22.

The exhibit will be part of a ceremony to open the preview phase of the airport's new $50-million, 150,000-square-foot passenger terminal:

    
                                 10:30 a.m.
                          Monday, February 22, 2010
              Billy Bishop Toronto City Airport, Toronto Island
    

The historic artefacts include the full medal collection of Air Marshal William Avery "Billy" Bishop, the First World War fighter pilot who became the top "ace" in the British Empire. Among his numerous honours is the Victoria Cross, the highest military award in the British Commonwealth, which will be on display.

Upon returning from the war, Mr. Bishop, along with fellow air ace and Victoria Cross recipient Billy Barker, helped establish the Port George VI Airport in 1939.

Other exhibit items include Canadian tunics and uniforms from various military eras.

Mr. Bishop's son, Royal Canadian Air Force Flight Lt. Arthur Bishop (Ret.), will be addressing the ceremony. He was also a fighter pilot in France during the Second World War. He will joined by his daughter Diana Bishop, and his nephew Alex MacKay.

Canadian War Museum Director Mark O`Neill will also be in attendance, along with staff members Eric Fernberg and Jason Ginn, to answer any questions related to the military items.

A DVD containing Arthur Bishop's recent interview regarding his father as a person and his impact on Canada will be made available to the media. The video was produced by Media Monkey Productions Inc. on behalf of the Toronto Port Authority and contains historical footage from Billy Bishop's life in the military and as a businessman in Toronto. The video will also be available for viewing by the public at www.torontoport.com on Monday, February, 22, 2010.

Also attending the event will be Mary Smith and Mindy Gill, manager and curator respectively, of the Billy Bishop Home and Museum in Owen Sound, Ont. The team at the Billy Bishop Home and Museum has also kindly agreed to display a portion of their own Billy Bishop artefact collection at the airport on February 22, 2010. The Museum's team is working with the TPA on the creation of a permanent exhibit in honour of Billy Bishop.

For further information: Janet MacDonald, [phone]