Spitfire Replica Relocated from Kitchener to Tillsonburg

A well-known landmark in Kitchener has moved after nearly 30 years sitting atop a business on Victoria Street North.

Since 1997, a replica of a WWII Spitfire fighter aircraft has been perched on top of K-W Surplus.

After selling his store, owner Ray Whittemore wanted to ensure this piece of history was preserved. He donated the plane to the Canadian Harvard Aircraft Association (CHAA), a nonprofit group focused on honoring Second World War Harvard aircraft linked with the Royal Canadian Air Force and the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan.

Whittemore, a long-time member of the CHAA, bought the plane in England back in 1996 for $50,000 before bringing it back to Kitchener.

Since December, he and the CHAA have been preparing to transport the plane to CYTB Airport in Tillsonburg for restoration and repainting as part of a new Veterans Memorial Garden.

Terry Scott, Chair of Public Relations for CHAA, appeared on The Mike Farwell Show and mentioned that the garden will honor various branches of the military.

“The memorial garden is designed to pay tribute to the Canadian Armed Forces, the RCAF, the Coast Guard, Merchant Marines, and the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan. It’s sort of an all encompassing memorial garden that we have planned in cooperation with a number of other groups and certainly the town of Tillsonburg.”

John Britton, Vice President of CHAA, stated that removing the aircraft will be quite an event since they’ll need cranes and two flatbed trucks for dismantling it.

“We have to have people on the roof as the Spitfire is bolted onto a plate on a pedestal that goes through the building and into the basement, and it will have to be lifted off and supported by ropes,” said Britton. “It’s roughly a 3000 lbs kite hanging on a wire so it’s going to be a little precarious.”

Once removed, they’ll take off its wings before loading it onto trucks for transport to Tillsonburg. After that, it will be reassembled and repainted for public display once again.

Britton acknowledged how much this landmark means to folks in Kitchener.

“I know it’s going to be disappointing for people in the area to lose that landmark because it’s such a beautiful airplane up on the roof.”

The restored aircraft will feature brighter yellow colors reminiscent of Charley Fox’s past presidency when he was also a Spitfire pilot.

Colours planned for Kitchener Spitfire Aircraft replica to be moved to Tillsonburg. (Photo: Canadian Harvard Aircraft Association)

“We’re really looking forward to putting these memorial gardens together to honour veterans,” adds Britton. “We want to keep these memories alive; it’s very important.”

The plane will serve as a focal point within this new garden dedicated not just to veterans but also recognizing contributions from various military branches including Canadian Armed Forces, RCAF, Coast Guard, Merchant Marines along with BCATP.