Canso 11007 Plane Crash: Tofino BC
On February 10th 1945 a Canso 11007 Royal Canadian Airforce bomber with twelve crew members onboard crashed into trees due to an engine malfunction. The aircraft was loaded with 3,400 litres of fuel and four 100 kilogram depth charges. Miraculously, with all that fuel and explosives onboard all 12 crew members survived and were rescued 11 hours later.
The plane now rests in the Pacific Rim National Park just south of Radar Hill and Tofino. Although parts have been stolen from the plane and it has been tagged in spray paint it is still in pretty good shape.
The hike out to the plane starts on a pretty easy pathway (15 telephone poles past the Radar Hill turnoff, you’ll see where the gravel joins from the highway to the forest). The trail takes you up to an abandoned building. It may have been a WWII Radar station, there are runners in the floor where cables may have been (I could be completely wrong feel free to correct me in the comments). Walk through or around this creepy building to a smaller trail that starts taking you down to the bog.
Ok the bog, don’t underestimate the bog. It is wet muskeg that will eat your shoes so bring appropriate footwear. Follow the signage and the rope through the marsh maze. Because of this section I would leave small children and dogs behind. Take your time in the bog, every time you think it is over it isn’t.
After a good long time in the bog you’ll reach a small circular pond, the plane is just past this. This pond is where they detonated the depth charges instead of hauling them out through the bog (once you get to this stage of the hike you’ll understand why they didn’t want to carry them out). Then behold the plane. It’s pretty cool and chilling. A relic of Canada’s wartime history, treat it right and leave it how you found it so others can experience this piece of history.
Then enjoy your hike out through the bog.
