On January 31st, the Bombardier Centre for Aerospace and Aviation - Downsview Campus welcomed 21 key leadership representatives from the University of Toronto, Toronto Metropolitan University, Queen’s University, McMaster University, York University, University of Waterloo, Canada Lands Company, Downsview Aerospace Innovation and Research (DAIR) Hub and Centennial College to discuss and plan for future aerospace activities and strategic expansion of the Downsview campus to maximize benefits to the aerospace sector. The DAIR team led by CEO Maryse Harvey shared and reviewed their future plans for new buildings on the site, including a re-imagined "Moth" Building where the historic DeHavilland Moth was built.
Throughout the meeting, the represented leadership across the 9 institutions explored the various needs of the aerospace sector in terms of skilled trades training, environmental sustainability and research activity that is critical to support the industry. The representatives were also taken on a full onsite tour of the DAIR facilities to get a tangible idea of their synergies and innovative capacity— including the state-of-the-art Centennial Downsview Campus, the TMU Aerospace Engineering Centre research facility, and the Centennial College Landing Gear Innovation Lab.
Gathering such perspectives from diverse post-secondary institutions and organizations around the GTA is vital for developing a holistic understanding of the industry’s priorities and how to align them with the institutions’ collaborative potential. The valuable input and insight from the group was received by the DAIR leadership team and will inform future planning for various industry-supporting activities at Downsview in the months and years ahead.