Controversial time remembered by plaque in city park

Mayor Al McDonald, Heritage Committee Chair Pete Handley, and 22 Wing Commander Col. Henrik Smith, surrounded by other committee members, unveil a new plaque remembering the BOMARC.  

A plaque was unveiled at Veteran's Field yesterday to mark a controversial time in the city's history...the BOMARC missile. 

See previous story: Bomarc missile to be honoured http://www.baytoday.ca/content/news/details.asp?c=78982

The ceremony was the first public appearance for Wing Commander Smith since assuming command April 8th.

"The BOMARC has a mixed history. It came in as a replacement for the Avro Arrow," he told BayToday.

"It was a really remarkable time and indicative of how tense things were that we in Canada were willing to accept a nuclear armed missile on our soil with a concept that it would fly 600 km north and detonate, which is still very much over Canadian territory,

"It says something about out attitudes and concerns during that period," said Smith.

Heritage Committee Chair, and former CFCH radio broadcaster Pete Handley, remembers the event well.

"There was political turmoil in the Diefenbaker era and they snuck it in New Year's eve. I was actually on the air on radio when they brought it in around midnight. It was controversial for a while, then everybody forgot about it--- it was just there--- accepted as part of North Bay's life. 

"We didn't have people running around hiding under tables or anything, but we were the focal point for a while of world history."

Handley says installing plaques at historical points around the city is designed to bring North Bay's history into a sharper focus.

"We lost a lot of things like the courthouse, the old city hall, like the BOMARC and so we have about 18 plaques up, with three more going up this year.

"We think they tell our story and that's what the Heritage committee is, we're story tellers, telling the story of North Bay's history and heritage.