Update on Controversy re Canada's FIRST FEMALE PILOT & Shame on Canada's Aviation Hall of Fame!

Yesterday the 2015/2016 chair of  Canada's Aviation Hall of Fame left a comment on my blog post called

"Why is Canada's First Female Pilot being ignored by Canada's Aviation Hall of Fame?"

I have responded with my own comment but I am going to add to it here:

Tom, While I appreciate your taking the time to read my post and leave your thoughts, I take exception to the implication that our nomination didn't follow the "nomination guidelines."

Your statement "The decision in any year in the future might be different, depending upon the quality of the nominations submitted." is insulting

The implication you made is that our nomination was not a "quality" nomination. We are genealogists who are experienced in accuracy of facts, resolution of ambiguities in facts, relevancy of details, organization of facts found and presentation of those facts. I believe our 2005 nomination of Eileen Vollick was a quality submission and to suggest otherwise is simply a diversionary tactic on the part of CAHF.

I assure you we read, and followed, the guidelines very carefully.

Second - IF that WERE true that we messed up our submission, then why did the email from Canada Aviation Hall of Fame (CAHF) state that our nomination would be RECONSIDERED the next year.

One would hope that if we didn't meet the guidelines the committee would have explained that we needed to re-read them and re-submit Eileen's name.

Here is the email we received from the committee:

"The names for the 2006 inductees have been published on our website (www.cahf.ca) under the "What's New!" heading. My apologises [sic] for not being successful this year with Eileen Vollick's nomination, but it will be reconsidered for next year."

So again, it has been 10 years, and still no honouring of the FIRST FEMALE PILOT in Canada. One has to wonder what hidden agenda is being followed by CAHF.

As my previous articles indicate, Eileen has been honoured repeatedly as a significant female contributor to aviation:

* There is a historical plaque in honour of Eileen Vollick at the Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum at Hamilton Airport.

* In 1978 Eileen was inducted into the International Forest of Friendship in the Memory Lane section of the park. The International Forest of Friendship is a park that honours individuals who have made significant contributions to aviation.

* Through Canada Post’s Picture Postage program, the East Canada Section of the Ninety-Nines created a stamp in Eileen’s honour. First Day covers were issued in Wiarton, Ontario on August 2, 2008.

*The Wiarton Keppel International Airport named the Eileen Vollick Terminal building, on August 2, 2008, the 100^th anniversary of Eileen’s birth.

* The First Canadian Chapter posthumously awarded Eileen the Amelia Earhart Medallion in 1975

* The Toronto Aerospace Museum in Downsview features Eileen's accomplishments.

It is long past time for Eileen to be recognized for her accomplishment of being the FIRST FEMALE LICENSED PILOT IN CANADA.

Let's face facts - Canada's Aviation Hall of Fame has deliberately overlooked an important figure in Canadian history - an important FEMALE who broke long-held barriers and empowered women to strive for things long thought outside their ability to achieve. Shame on you.