{"id":2676,"date":"2025-01-12T08:43:53","date_gmt":"2025-01-12T14:43:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/edmonton-yes.com\/?p=2676"},"modified":"2025-01-12T08:43:55","modified_gmt":"2025-01-12T14:43:55","slug":"the-history-of-edmontons-hangar-11-a-wwii-landmark","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/edmonton-yes.com\/en\/eternal\/the-history-of-edmontons-hangar-11-a-wwii-landmark","title":{"rendered":"The History of Edmonton\u2019s Hangar 11: A WWII Landmark"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Even decades after World War II, reminders of that global conflict remain visible across the world. Some were deliberately crafted to ensure future generations remember the lessons of war, while others stand as silent witnesses to the events of those tumultuous years. Hangar 11 in Edmonton is one such landmark, built during WWII and still carrying the echoes of its historical significance. Learn more at <a href=\"https:\/\/edmonton-yes.com\/\" data-type=\"link\" data-id=\"https:\/\/edmonton-yes.com\/\">edmonton-yes<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_76 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a0c29a808e96\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a0c29a808e96\"  aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/edmonton-yes.com\/en\/eternal\/the-history-of-edmontons-hangar-11-a-wwii-landmark\/#The_Origins_of_Hangar_11\" >The Origins of Hangar 11<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/edmonton-yes.com\/en\/eternal\/the-history-of-edmontons-hangar-11-a-wwii-landmark\/#Post-War_Use_and_Historical_Recognition\" >Post-War Use and Historical Recognition<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/edmonton-yes.com\/en\/eternal\/the-history-of-edmontons-hangar-11-a-wwii-landmark\/#Decline_and_Current_Status\" >Decline and Current Status<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/edmonton-yes.com\/en\/eternal\/the-history-of-edmontons-hangar-11-a-wwii-landmark\/#A_Legacy_to_Remember\" >A Legacy to Remember<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"The_Origins_of_Hangar_11\"><\/span>The Origins of Hangar 11<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"818\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.edmonton-yes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/40\/2025\/01\/1-1.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2677\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.edmonton-yes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/40\/2025\/01\/1-1.png 1024w, https:\/\/cdn.edmonton-yes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/40\/2025\/01\/1-1-300x240.png 300w, https:\/\/cdn.edmonton-yes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/40\/2025\/01\/1-1-768x614.png 768w, https:\/\/cdn.edmonton-yes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/40\/2025\/01\/1-1-696x556.png 696w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s hard to overstate the role that Hangar 11 played during WWII. Constructed by the United States Air Force in the 1940s, this hangar is located near the heart of Edmonton. In 1942, on the grounds of what was then the Blatchford Field Municipal Airport, Hangar 11 was built. Today, it holds the status of a historic building.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This hangar became a technical hub during the war, playing a crucial role in outfitting fighter planes destined for the Eastern Front. Its operations were integral to the U.S. Lend-Lease program, which provided military aid to the Allies, including the Soviet Union. Maintenance and upgrades carried out within its walls enabled the success of the Allied forces in their march toward Berlin during 1944-1945.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Dan Rose, head of Edmonton\u2019s Historical Board, emphasized the hangar\u2019s importance, describing it as a key element of Edmonton\u2019s wartime history.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Post-War_Use_and_Historical_Recognition\"><\/span>Post-War Use and Historical Recognition<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"578\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.edmonton-yes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/40\/2025\/01\/2-1.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-2680\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.edmonton-yes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/40\/2025\/01\/2-1.png 1024w, https:\/\/cdn.edmonton-yes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/40\/2025\/01\/2-1-300x169.png 300w, https:\/\/cdn.edmonton-yes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/40\/2025\/01\/2-1-768x434.png 768w, https:\/\/cdn.edmonton-yes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/40\/2025\/01\/2-1-696x393.png 696w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>After WWII ended, Hangar 11 transitioned into peacetime operations. By 1945, it was used to facilitate connections with Northern Canada, highlighting its ongoing utility. Over the years, its historical significance was recognized, and in 1985, it was designated one of Western Canada\u2019s last surviving structures of its kind. Out of an original 170 wartime hangars, Hangar 11 became a symbol of resilience, earning the title of a \u201cHistoric Resource\u201d by local authorities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Despite this, maintaining such a large structure became increasingly challenging for the city. Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, Edmonton allocated up to $500,000 annually to preserve the hangar. Restoration plans included converting parts of the building into residential and commercial spaces, but these ambitions largely remained unrealized.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Decline_and_Current_Status\"><\/span>Decline and Current Status<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>By 2013, Hangar 11 was boarded up, left to the forces of time and neglect. At that point, restoration costs were estimated to be in the tens of millions of dollars. Efforts to secure funding or private investment were hindered by economic downturns and, later, the COVID-19 pandemic. The idea of handing the hangar over to private businesses for restoration was floated but has yet to materialize.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"A_Legacy_to_Remember\"><\/span>A Legacy to Remember<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Despite its current state, Hangar 11 stands as a reminder of its significant role during WWII. This historic site was once a hub of technical innovation and logistical support, aiding the Allied forces in their fight for freedom. Whatever its future holds, Hangar 11\u2019s history underscores the vital contributions made by Edmonton and Canada during one of humanity\u2019s darkest times.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Even decades after World War II, reminders of that global conflict remain visible across the world. Some were deliberately crafted to ensure future generations remember the lessons of war, while others stand as silent witnesses to the events of those tumultuous years. Hangar 11 in Edmonton is one such landmark, built during WWII and still [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":414,"featured_media":2683,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[498],"tags":[1012,1013,1018,1015,1019,1023,988,1021,1011,1024,1017,1016,1022,1020,1014],"motype":[491],"moformat":[89],"moimportance":[101,104],"class_list":{"0":"post-2676","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-voenna-istoria","8":"tag-alberta-wwii-landmarks","9":"tag-allied-airbase-edmonton","10":"tag-blatchford-field-history","11":"tag-edmonton-aviation-history","12":"tag-edmonton-historic-buildings","13":"tag-edmonton-military-heritage","14":"tag-edmonton-war-effort","15":"tag-edmonton-wartime-logistics","16":"tag-hangar-11-edmonton","17":"tag-hangar-11-preservation","18":"tag-hangar-11-restoration","19":"tag-hangar-11-significance","20":"tag-wwii-edmonton-history","21":"tag-wwii-fighter-planes","22":"tag-wwii-lend-lease-program","23":"motype-eternal","24":"moformat-vlasna","25":"moimportance-golovna-novyna","26":"moimportance-retranslyacziya-v-agregatory"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/edmonton-yes.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2676","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/edmonton-yes.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/edmonton-yes.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/edmonton-yes.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/414"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/edmonton-yes.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2676"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/edmonton-yes.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2676\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2686,"href":"https:\/\/edmonton-yes.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2676\/revisions\/2686"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/edmonton-yes.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2683"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/edmonton-yes.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2676"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/edmonton-yes.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2676"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/edmonton-yes.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2676"},{"taxonomy":"motype","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/edmonton-yes.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/motype?post=2676"},{"taxonomy":"moformat","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/edmonton-yes.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/moformat?post=2676"},{"taxonomy":"moimportance","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/edmonton-yes.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/moimportance?post=2676"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}