With the City of Mississauga, Heritage Mississauga, and the Toronto Aerospace Museum, the Greater Toronto Airports Authority (GTAA) was honoured to host the 50th Anniversary Celebration of the Avro Arrow at Terminal 1.

This event commemorated the day when the first Avro Arrow aircraft rolled off the Malton production line in 1957.

The Avro CF-105 “Arrow” was a delta-wing interceptor aircraft with advanced technical and aerodynamic qualities. It was one of the greatest achievements for the Canadian aviation industry. Even today, the Avro Arrow remains one of the most advanced aircrafts ever designed and flown.

Dignitaries and guests included Hazel McCallion, Mayor of Mississauga; Eve Adams, Mississauga Ward 5 Councillor; Irene Hawrylyshyn, GTAA Senior Manager Corporate and Culture Programs; Eric Gibson, Historian, Heritage Mississauga; and Claude Sherwood, C.E.O. Toronto Aerospace Museum; who each paid tribute to this testament of remarkable Canadian achievement in aviation.

In her remarks, Mayor McCallion spoke of the growth in the aerospace industry, especially in Mississauga. She attributed this development to Mississauga's ability to be a progressive city and one that has proven itself a leader in the highly competitive field. Additionally, she acknowledged the Avro Arrow as a part of Mississauga’s history, as it was at Toronto Pearson (formerly Malton Airport) where the aircraft was designed and built by Avro Aircraft Limited in 1955.

Councillor Adams identified this day as a celebration of the aircraft, commenting that the Avro Arrow represents a vision; a symbol of Canadian ingenuity and innovation. Irene Hawrylyshyn took the opportunity to announce the GTAA’s commitment to remembering the historical significance of the aircraft by way of a commemorative structure built on the former Boeing Lands using limestone preserved from the original A.V. Roe building that once stood on the same ground.