A replica Second World War Spitfire fighter plane has arrived in Tillsonburg, Ontario, following its removal from a long-time home in Kitchener on April 20, 2026. The aircraft, which served as a landmark for nearly 30 years, was donated to the Canadian Harvard Aircraft Association to become the centerpiece of a new memorial garden at the Tillsonburg Regional Airport.
Ray Whittemore, the former owner of the Kitchener store where the plane was displayed, arranged the donation. The replica, which weighs approximately 3,000 pounds, was moved using a crane and two flatbed trucks. Mr. Whittemore originally purchased the aircraft from England in 1996 for $50,000.
Once necessary repairs are finished, the association plans to repaint the Spitfire in the colours flown by the late Lieutenant Charley Fox, a Second World War pilot and past president of the association who is credited with action against Field Marshal Erwin Rommel in 1944. The memorial garden is also intended to honour Canadian astronaut Bjarni Tryggvason, who served as president of the association until his death in 2022.
The proposed memorial garden is currently awaiting approval from the town council. The project is being led by the association, a registered charitable organization incorporated in 1985 that celebrated its 40th anniversary in 2025
