South Lethbridge in Lethbridge County, Alberta — Canada’s Prairie Region (North America)
First Air Crossing of the Canadian Rockies / Première traversée des Rocheuses en avion
Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, June 27, 2022
1. First Air Crossing of the Canadian Rockies / Première traversée des Rocheuses en avion Marker
On August 7, 1919, Captain E.C. Hoy made the first crossing of the Canadian Rockies by air from Vancouver following a route over Vernon, Grand Forks, Cranbrook, and through Crawford Pass. His Canadian-built Curtiss JN-4 (“Jenny”), its flying altitude limited to 7,000 feet by an extra fuel load, took off from old Minoru Park Race Track, Lulu Island at 4:14 AM. After manoeuvring between towering peaks and barely clearing heights of land en route, Hoy ended the history making part of his flight at Lethbridge at 6:22 pm. The hazards now behind him, he flew on to Calgary, landing at 8:55pm.
Au cours d’un vol reliant Vancouver à Lethbridge via Vernon, Grand Forks, Cranbrook et le col Crawford, le capitaine E.C. Hoy accomplit la première traversée des Rocheuses en avion. Dans son appareil canadien Curtiss JN-4 ("Jenny"), plafonné à 7,000 pieds à cause du poids du carburant, il décolla de l'ancienne piste de course du parc Minoru, sur l'île de Lulu, à 4h14, le 7 août 1919. Manœuvrant entre les hauts sommets et rasant les arêtes, Hoy termina son voyage historique à Lethbridge à 18h22.
this page online
Erected 1985 by Historic Sites and Monuments Board of Canada/Commission des lieux et monuments historiques du Canada.
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Air & Space. In addition, it is included in the Canada, Historic Sites and Monuments Board series list. A significant historical date for this entry is August 7, 1919.
Location. 49° 41.792′ N, 112° 50.351′ W. Marker is in Lethbridge, Alberta, in Lethbridge County. It is in South Lethbridge. Marker can be reached from the intersection of 3 Avenue South and 6 Street South, on the right when traveling west. Marker is located in Galt Gardens, on the north side of the Southern Alberta Art Gallery. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 601 3 Avenue South, Lethbridge AB T1J 0H4, Canada. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 3 kilometers of this marker, measured as the crow flies. First Coal Mine in Alberta / La première houillère de L'Alberta (within shouting distance of this marker); Lethbridge Public Library / Southern Alberta Art Gallery (within shouting distance of this marker); Firehall No. 1 (about 180 meters away, measured in a direct line); Canadian Pacific Railway Union Station (approx. 0.3 kilometers away); Manual Training School / Bowman Elementary / Bowman Art Centre
Photographed By Cosmos Mariner, June 27, 2022
2. First Air Crossing of the Canadian Rockies / Première traversée des Rocheuses en avion Marker
Also see . . .
1. 7 August 1919 - This Day in Aviation.
7 August 1919: Captain Ernest Charles Hoy, DFC, a World War I fighter pilot credited with 13 aerial victories, became the first pilot to fly across the Canadian Rockies when he flew from Richmond, British Columbia, to Calgary, Alberta, carrying the mail for the Post Office Department. Two Canadian newspapers had agreed to offer a cash prize to the first person to make this flight. Captain Hoy was sponsored by the Aerial League of Canada, which purchased the airplane.(Submitted on July 10, 2022, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)
2. Ernest Charles Hoy.
On 3 December 1918, Lieut. (A./Capt.) Ernest Charles Hoy was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross in recognition of gallantry in flying operations against the enemy in France. In August 1919, Hoy used a Curtiss Jenny to carry the first airmail from Vancouver to Calgary across the Canadian Rocky Mountains; the pioneering flight took sixteen hours, forty-two minutes.(Submitted on July 10, 2022, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.)
Credits. This page was last revised on April 20, 2023. It was originally submitted on July 10, 2022, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida. This page has been viewed 110 times since then and 10 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on July 10, 2022, by Cosmos Mariner of Cape Canaveral, Florida.
