The Gimli Glider Exhibit is inviting aviation enthusiasts and supporters to a special fundraising dinner on July 23 featuring retired Air Canada captain Bob Pearson and guest speaker Clint Ward as efforts continue to restore and permanently display the famous aircraft’s cockpit in Gimli.
Captain Bob Pearson greets the Gimli Glider cockpit after its return to Canada
The evening will be held at the Gimli Lakeview Hotel and Resort ballroom, with a mix-and-mingle beginning at 6 p.m. and dinner at 7 p.m. Proceeds will support the restoration and installation of the Boeing 767 cockpit at a commemorative park near the site of the historic July 23, 1983, emergency landing.
Tickets are $125 each and are available through the Gimli Glider Exhibit by emailing gimligliderinfo@gmail.com. A portion of each ticket purchase is eligible for a charitable tax receipt.
Ward’s presentation, titled On All the Other Days, will offer a unique perspective on the people behind one of Canada’s most remarkable aviation stories. An Air Canada pilot, Ward flew with both Pearson and first officer Maurice Quintal following the Gimli Glider incident and developed lasting friendships with both men.
Ward has also been involved in efforts to have Pearson and Quintal recognized by the Canadian Aviation Hall of Fame and is awaiting the outcome of a recent nomination.
“Bob Pearson was the right person at the right time,” Ward said. “I think this feat was one of the greatest aviation events to ever occur. It certainly wasn’t in my bag of tricks, but because of his skill he was able to save 69 lives.”
Pearson was the captain of Air Canada Flight 143, the Boeing 767 that became known worldwide as the “Gimli Glider” after it ran out of fuel en route from Montreal to Edmonton. Pearson and Quintal successfully guided the powerless aircraft to a safe emergency landing at Gimli on July 23, 1983, saving all 69 people on board and earning international recognition in aviation history.
“He took a gamble with the side-slip, and it paid off,” Ward added. “In those minutes, he was totally and utterly focused, pulling off something that had never been done before and hasn’t been done since.”
Ward began his aviation career in Saskatoon in 1951 and retired as an Air Canada captain in 1992. Now a playwright, author and public speaker, he enjoys sharing aviation stories drawn from a lifetime in the industry.
He hopes guests at the fundraiser will leave both entertained and with a greater appreciation for the significance of the Gimli Glider story and the exhibit that preserves it.
“The museum is an absolute gem about the landing,” he said. “It has given Gimli international notoriety — it’s keeping the story alive.”
The anniversary event comes as the Gimli Glider Exhibit continues fundraising efforts to restore and permanently display the aircraft’s cockpit at a commemorative park near the site of the emergency landing.
Last year, the exhibit acquired the Boeing 767 cockpit and transported it to Gimli from an aircraft storage facility in California’s Mojave Desert. The acquisition was made possible in part through a major donation from Winnipeg supporter James Kotowich.
Expert industry volunteers have since been working to restore the cockpit to its original Air Canada appearance before it is mounted on a pedestal at the commemorative park. Organizers hope the installation will be unveiled in spring 2027.
The final stages of restoration include repainting the cockpit in its original colours and installing authentic windows. Plans also call for the cockpit to be displayed in a way that evokes the aircraft’s famous glide into Gimli.
Barb Gluck, president of the Gimli Glider Exhibit, said the non-profit organization relies heavily on visitor support. So far this year, the museum has welcomed guests from across Canada and around the world.
“It’s rewarding for us to see the number of people coming from outside Canada,” she said. “The aviation community is strong, and meeting these guests proves it.”
Gluck said the organization is also working to highlight Gimli’s broader aviation history, including its role as a Royal Canadian Air Force training base, the history of Saunders Aircraft and the many aviation-related activities that continue at the airport today.
Fundraising remains a key focus as organizers work toward completing the cockpit restoration, interpretive signage and other features planned for the park, including interactive bilingual storytelling stations that will share the history of the Gimli Glider with visitors outside museum operating hours.
“We know there is a vast aviation history in Gimli, and we want to honour Gimli’s contributions,” Gluck said. “It’s always been our vision to provide a top-quality exhibit. This community has an amazing aviation history, and we would like to tell more of that story.”
Donations of $1,000 or more will be permanently recognized at the site, while larger sponsorship opportunities are also available.
