Mr. Speaker, I would like to call the attention of the House to a potential tragedy for Canadian aviation history.
In a Prince George RCMP hangar rests the Grumman Goose. This plane was built in 1944, can land on water, snow or ground and has logged over 24,000 flying hours. It has seen service on both coasts, in Ottawa and the high Arctic. It has been used for drug busts, surveillance, rescues and air shows in addition to ferrying people and equipment.
The RCMP may have to sell this 50-year old plane and the National Aviation Museum cannot afford the estimated price tag of $300,000.
I implore the RCMP and the government to reconsider the possible sale of this plane to give Canadians the time to find alternatives for raising the money to preserve this piece of our heritage. If not, the last flight of the Goose will probably take it out of Canada forever, heading south of the border to the highest bidder.