Midnight Blue concluded their performance with a beautiful four part rendition of Oh Canada. 

The program began with Dwight Burley, Chair of the Airport Service Board and Anne Starret, Governor of the East Canada Section of the Ninety-Nines welcoming everyone and thanking all who had contributed to the success of the celebration.  Committee chair Paul Kastner introduced municipal, provincial and federal politicians who had joined us on a busy holiday weekend.  South Bruce Peninsula Mayor Gwen Gilbert, Georgian Bluffs Township Mayor Alan Barfoot, Bruce County Warden Milton McIver, Grey County Warden Kevin Eccles, Bruce-Grey-Owen Sound MLA Bill Murdoch and Larry Miller, MP for the same riding all extended greetings and congratulations from their various constituency groups. 

Taking us back to Eileen’s time as a teenager in the twenties, wearing red sequined flapper dresses, five dancers from the Peninsula School of Dance, Elisabeth van Beusekom, Emily Danard, Sierra Ellis, Natalie Gray and Rachel Ward performed the Charleston, choreographed by director Dorothy Livsey.  Marilyn Dickson chaired the rest of the program, introducing Eileen’s family and aviation representatives. 

Eileen’s 91-year-old sister, Audrey Hopkin described watching, with her mother, Eileen parachute into Hamilton Bay.  The boat was not in position to pick her up, so Eileen freed herself from the parachute and swam a considerable distance before the boat picked her up. 

Daughter Joyce Miles spoke on behalf of the Vollick family and thanked everyone who had helped to honour her mother, and those who had contributed to the success of the day. 

Daughter Eileen Barnes donated a beautiful painting of her mother for display in the Eileen Vollick Terminal of the Wiarton Keppel International Airport.

Wiarton pilot, Rev. Ted Davey had also painted a picture of Eileen in the Curtiss Jenny, which he donated to COPA, Flight 68.  COPA Flight 68 Chair Hank Nuis accepted thanks to members of Flight 68 for their involvement in the celebration. 

Anne Starret read a letter of congratulations from Pat Prentiss, International President of the Ninety-Nines and presented a beautiful lead crystal vase on her behalf.  Akky Mansikka presented a framed First Day Cover of the Eileen Vollick stamp from the East Canada Section of the Ninety-Nines.

National COPA representative John Quarterman acknowledged women pilots he has known during his flying career.  He gave high praise to his flying instructor, Felicity McKendry for the quality of her lessons.  He also paid tribute to Lorna deBlicquy for her illustrious career in aviation culminating in her becoming the first female civil aviation inspector with Transport Canada.  As well he mentioned Margaret Carson who completed her Private Pilot License in 1940 and joined the Women’s Division of the RCAF, hoping to fly for the war effort.  Grounded during the war, Margaret resumed her flying career following the war and was instrumental in founding COPA. 

Unable to attend the celebration, Vi Milstead Warren, licensed in 1939 just 11 years after Eileen, sent a letter of congratulations.  Vi expressed her gratitude that Eileen learned to fly in 1928, paving the way for other Canadian women.  (She was one of very few Canadian women who managed to fly throughout the war, first as an instructor at Barker Field, Toronto and then with the Air Transport Auxiliary in England, delivering military planes from factories to maintenance units and military bases.)

One of the first women to fly with the Canadian Forces, in the 1980s, Major Dee Brasseur (Ret’d) related that her experience had been somewhat different from Eileen’s.  She commented on the number of youngsters in the audience, the next generation and encouraged them to follow their dreams, as Eileen had done. 

Wiarton-Keppel International Airport

To the sound of pipes, the cover was removed from the sign on the terminal building, revealing its new name, the EILEEN VOLLICK TERMINAL, Wiarton-Keppel International Airport. 

Most of us cannot really comprehend the courage it must have taken for an eighteen-year-old textile worker to venture into Jack Kelly’s Flying School and ask, “Can a girl learn to fly?”  But we found Eileen Vollick’s spirit and spunk alive and well in her sister, daughters, grandchildren, great grandchildren, nieces, nephews and cousins.  And according to them, they recognized it in the pilots they met as well.  To everyone who joined in the celebration, it was a wonderful day because of all who attended. 

I think Eileen would have loved the festivities – but I also think she was the kind of woman who didn’t need accolades for her accomplishments.  She learned to fly because she wanted to, not for the attention her achievements would bring.  All formal recognitions came after her early death in 1968 at the age of 60.

For those pilots who didn’t make it on August 2, the Roof Top Café serves a great breakfast.  Consider flying in soon to view the parkette, marker and memorabilia for yourselves.