A Unique Quebec Project

The Québec Aerospace Museum (QAM) is a non-profit organization (NPO) established in August 2018 with the mission of preserving and promoting the aerospace industry and its rich heritage in general.

The main idea is to offer a showcase of this industry to the general public on a permanent basis.

In this capacity, the society is now developing plans to establish an innovative aviation and space museum at Saint-Hubert Airport, located 12 km east of downtown Montreal, Quebec. This project will be carried out in compliance with the requirements of the Société des musées du Québec (SMQ).

The Montreal metropolitan area is home to one of the world’s leading aeronautical manufacturing and innovation hubs, with five world-leading aerospace companies having major manufacturing and R&D centres here – Bombardier Aerospace, Airbus, Pratt & Whitney Canada, Bell Textron Canada, CAE – and Montreal also the headquarters of Air Canada and the Canadian Space Agency.

However, apart from the Montreal Aviation Museum in Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue – a QAM partner – there are no major air and space museums in the region.

Filling an Important Gap

There is an important gap that needs to be filled when it comes to the promotion of aerospace trades in Quebec between the virtual promotion of careers by industry organizations like Aéro Montréal and CAMAQ and the youth outreach programs conducted by technical schools.

Workforce studies indicate that young people start to consider careers in aviation when they are teenagers and it’s important for the aviation industry to engage young people as early as possible.

Aviation museums around the world already play an important role promoting aviation careers and STEM education and QAM can provide this missing link in Quebec. This could be achieved, for example, by creating interactive, educational and fun activities that arouse the interest of younger generations in flying and the aerospace industry.

Full Member of the Industry and Ecosystem of Longueuil and Montérégie

The Québec Aerospace Museum plans to become a full member of the Quebec and Canadian aerospace industry and is already attracting leaders and volunteers from across the industry.

This will require greater integration and participation by the Museum in the activities of associations and groups across the aviation and aerospace ecosystem and Aéro Montréal cluster. Moreover, representatives sit on the “Relève et main d’œuvre” and “MRO” workshops, and participate, when appropriate, in several activities organized by the latter institution.

So that decisions are made in the interest of the aerospace industry, representatives from different companies in the sector sit on the QAM Board of Directors. Several members of the educational community are also present on the Board of Directors.

The City of Longueuil is closely associated with the QAM project which will respond to various crucial issues in the economic, tourist and heritage development of the agglomeration, in particular by improving the existing offer in terms of cultural and educational tourism. A municipal councilor is also invited as an observer to each meeting of the Board of Directors so that the City's point of view can be valued in the decisions that are made. The QAM has also already organized two aerospace heritage days jointly with the City of Longueuil.

It is obvious that an international-class museum established in Saint-Hubert would inevitably become a major tourist and heritage attraction in Montérégie in the same way as, for example, Exporail in Saint-Constant.

Furthermore, the QAM's approach is also part of a desire to participate in the development of the Saint-Hubert airport area, in particular by being associated with the Longueuil/Saint-Hubert Aerospace Innovation Hub.

The QAM is already a member of the Canadian Aeronautical Preservation Association (CAPA) which represents all aviation museums in Canada and the Canadian Aviation Historical Society (CAHS), which is Canada’s oldest aviation heritage organization. In 2020, the MAQ entered into a collaborative partnership with the Montreal Aviation Museum located in Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue that will support the growth of both organizations.The Fondation Aérovision Québec was invited to join the QAM in the development of the museum project in Saint-Hubert. The organization is also in regular contact with several other aviation museums in Canada and abroad.

The museum is also a member of Volunteer Canada.

Growing the Business

While the Québec Aerospace Museum does not yet have a physical exhibition space, it is building relationships with all the stakeholders required to achieve this goal.

Currently, one of the Museum’s top priorities is to increase its visibility. To this end, it is advocating that the annual Aerospace Heritage Day held in collaboration with the City of Longueuil be expanded. Other mainstream activities, such as “Introduction to Aerospace Days,” will be organized. In the absence of permanent infrastructure, activities and events can be organized on private sites at the airport, such as FBOs, or in educational facilities.

Further updates to the QAM website are also planned to make it more visually attractive and interactive. The digital communications strategy also calls for the production of regular podcasts to highlight the aviation history of Quebec and its pioneers.

A Major Attraction

The greater Montreal region is one of the world’s major aerospace centers, and the establishment of a local air and space museum has the potential to create a significant tourist attraction. Here are some well-known international museum attendance figures (before the COVID crisis):

• Museum of Flight (Seattle, WA): 500,000 visitors per year.

• Imperial War Museum (Duxford): 400,000 visitors per year.

• Air and Space Museum (Le Bourget): 300,000 visitors per year.

• Aéroscopia (Toulouse): more than 200,000 visitors per year.

Just imagine the direct and indirect returns to the Longueuil region of an air and space museum at Saint-Hubert Airport.

Of course, other major aerospace centres like Seattle and Toulouse have had a head start, but a Montreal museum with a similar aerospace industry focus will almost certainly attract many local and international visitors over a 10- to 20-year development phase.

We must also realize that we could create a world-class museum with a budget equivalent to the selling price of two Bombardier Challenger 350 or a Global aircraft.

The Quebec aerospace industry totaled had total sales corresponding to of about $18 billion and employed 37,200 people in 2022. This must therefore be put into perspective to enhance the visibility of this vital economic sector for the province and the country.

Health and Safety

The safety of our members, who are all volunteers, is without compromise. To this end, the QAM makes regular payments to the Commission des normes, de l’équité, de la santé et de la sécurité du travail (CNESST), which represents a regular business expense.

In addition, the QAM has its own trainers authorized to give general training and also specialized health and safety training such as Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System (WHMIS).

First aid training is also provided to volunteers.

Finally, the QAM has its own first aid resources and basic emergency equipment.