'It was pride for Canada': Ont. man keeps Avro Arrow history alive through photos, memorabilia

An 87-year-old man from Powassan, Ont. is trying to keep the history of the Avro Arrow aircraft alive through photos he's collected and taken when he worked on the project.

Pete Bonell work for Avro in the 50s as a safety tech on the Arrow project. (Eric Taschner/CTV News Northern Ontario)

Pete Bonell reminisced with CTV News about the time he worked with the now defunct aircraft manufacturing company Avro from 1957-1959 on the Arrow interceptor after he left the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF).

"My job at Avro, the term for it was the flight safety tech," he said.

Bonell worked on several pieces of the aircraft including its ejection seat, its drag chute, harness and survival equipment.

• Download our app to get local alerts on your device
• Get the latest local updates right to your inbox

Described as a top-of-the-line jet in its heyday, Avro built five Arrow jets. They were meant to intercept Russian fighter jets if war between the west and Russia broke out.

Almost all of the evidence of its existence and its ‘secret’ records were destroyed when the Progressive Conservative Government of the time and Prime Minister John Diefenbaker abruptly halted its development on Feb. 20, 1959.

An official destruction order was issued from the Federal Cabinet and chiefs of staff to destroy classified and ‘secret’ materials used in the Arrow and Iroquois programs. The action has been attributed to RCMP fears a Soviet ‘mole’ infiltrated Avro.

"We lost quite an opportunity there," sighed Bonell.

"It wasn't just a good interceptor. It was pride for Canada and something to be proud of."

When the decision was made, close to 15,000 thousand Avro employees as well as an additional 15,000 thousand employees in the Avro supply chain of outside suppliers were out of work.

A photograph of one of the five Avro Arrow jets on a runway from Pete Bonell's collection. (Eric Taschner/CTV News Northern Ontario)

Not all of the records are gone, however. Part of Bonell's collection includes pictures he personally took of the plane on the runway.

Avro had its own photographers to take the pictures the company wanted of the plane, equipment, and personnel.

Not all photos or records of the Avro Arrow were destroyed, Pete Bonnell's does include some official manufacturer photos. (Eric Taschner/CTV News Northern Ontario)

Bonell acquired several photos of the hanger from Avro photographer Jack Hurst – photos which somehow avoided being destroyed.

"The fact that they cancelled that project and destroyed evidence of it is beyond me,” said Bonell.

“I can't figure that one out. It should have been preserved."

Bonell has prints of the jet he's received as gifts, he built a remote control Arrow model and he also has the altimeter from one of the five planes.

"It had the latest radar and aircraft acquisition radar and all the latest stuff," he said.

As for his collection, Bonell plans on passing it down to his kids in hopes of keeping the Arrow's story alive.

"I just like to keep it in the forefront for people to realize what we lost," he said.