T-33 jet to soar over Woodhaven Park again

Jet was refurbished and painted to honour the Red Knights

February 8, 2019

It’s not unusual to see planes fly over Portage Avenue, but a bright red jet is quite the eye-catching sight.

The T-33 jet is back on display in Woodhaven Park and sporting a new paint job after being refurbished during 2018.

The T-33 jet was first installed in Woodhaven Park along Portage Avenue near the Grace Hospital in 1967. It was part of a project used to mark Canada’s Centennial.

Credit: Department of National Defence
The T-33 Jet was installed as part of a Centennial project.

“At that time it had the colours of the Golden Centennaires from the Canadian Air Force Aerobatics Team,” said Bell. The Canadian Forces Snowbirds eventually replaced the Golden Centennaires.

The plane had some maintenance done over the years, however the recent work was extensive.

“The plane was demounted,” said Bell. “We were lucky we did that because we found the structural supports were starting to fail.”

The refurbishment also included repairs to the pedestal and support arms.

The concrete pedestal has since been repaired and the support arms were re-welded. The aircraft also received some body work.

Through the process, the City worked with the military as well as a local family who had a personal connection to the aircraft.

Credit: Department of National Defence
Bill Slaughter was from Winnipeg and was a Red Knight aerobatic pilot with the Royal Canadian Air Force.

Bill Slaughter was from Winnipeg and was a Red Knight aerobatic pilot with the Royal Canadian Air Force. The new paint job on the T-33 jet pays tribute to Slaughter.

“It is quite unique to have someone who flew this from here,” said Bell. “Slaughter had flown a plane like this in the 1963/1964 season.”

Bell said in his 25 plus years with the City of Winnipeg, this project is one of his favourites.

Bell hopes residents will continue to appreciate the T-33 jet for many years to come thanks to the refurbishment.

“It’s a neat piece of Winnipeg’s history,” he said. “It’s really something to be proud of.”

Parks, Trees and the Environment

Was this information helpful?

How can we make this web page better?

Information collected will be used to improve our website. Do not use this form to submit a request for service or information because it will not be forwarded to departments for response. To submit a request for service or information, contact 311.

This form is not intended to collect personal information; however, any personal information you choose to include in your comments is collected by the City of Winnipeg under the authority of section 36(1)(b) of the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act for the purpose of improving our website and will not be used or disclosed for any other purposes, except as authorized by law. Contact the Corporate Access and Privacy Officer by mail (City Clerk’s Department, Susan A. Thompson Building, 510 Main Street, Winnipeg MB, R3B 1B9) or by telephone (311) if you have any questions about the collection of this information.

Ces renseignements sont-ils utiles?

Comment pourrait-on améliorer cette page Web?

Les renseignements recueillis serviront à l’amélioration de notre site Web. Prière de ne pas se servir de ce formulaire pour soumettre une demande de service ou de renseignements, car la demande ne sera pas transmise au service en question. Pour soumettre une demande de service ou de renseignements, veuillez communiquer avec le 311.

Le présent formulaire ne vise pas à recueillir des renseignements personnels. Cependant, les renseignements personnels que vous choisissez d’inclure dans vos commentaires sont recueillis par la Ville de Winnipeg en conformité avec l’alinéa 36(1)b) de la Loi sur l’accès à l’information et la protection de la vie privée dans le but d’améliorer son site Web et ne seront ni utilisés ni divulgués pour d’autres raisons, sauf dans les cas où cela est autorisé par la loi. Communiquez avec l’agent de l’accès à l’information et de la protection de la vie privée de la Ville par courrier au Bureau du greffier, immeuble Susan-A.-Thompson, 510, rue Main, Winnipeg (Manitoba) R3B 1B9, ou par téléphone au 311 si vous avez des questions sur la collecte de ces renseignements.