Little Norway

Little Norway. Lille Norge. , [First Panel:] , 9 April 1940 Norway was attacked by overwhelming forces. King Haakon VII, Crown Prince Olav and the government left Tromso 7 June for Great Britain in order to continue the fight for freedom in exile. Negotiations had started 2 June and a base for training air force personnel was erected in Toronto using Island Airport. A camp was built on the harbour front and officially opened 10 November 1940., The national emblems of Canada and Norway have been flying side by side from that date., Recruits were escaping Norway from behind enemy lines, 4000 miles away, and also volunteers from Canada and other parts of the free world. Island Airport and the camp in Toronto soon became overcrowded. 4 May 1942 Dominion Airport, Muskoka, officially became training base for elementary flying training. At one time 86 Fairchild Cornell PT 19 and PT 26 were in use., From 1941 advanced training took place in Canada within the British Commonwealth air training plan., Technical servicing continued at Island Airport. Ground schools were gradually transferred to Muskoka and on April 1943 this camp was sold and became Lakeside Camp Royal Canadian Air Force., Vesle Skaugum formerly Interlaken was acquired in the spring 1941 as recreation centre and for the training of recruits. It was sold to Kiwanis Club Toronto 1 June 1945., From these training establishments known as "Little Norway" more than 2000 trained personnel were sent to Great Britain., Norway was able to reestablish its Air Force and to maintain 4 national squadrons of aircraft and one air transport unit in the European battle area throughout the war, operating under allied operational command. In addition some became members of RAF units in Bomber Command, Fighter Squadron, Ferry Command, Transport Command, Coastal Command and others., 8 May 1945 the struggle was over and we could return to a free country. Veterans taking part in the unveiling ceremony of a commemorial stone in gratitude to Canada place the above information on this flagpole base in order to remind future generations of the facts., 18 September 1976 , Harald, [Second Panel:] , The memorial stone is a gift from Norway to Canada. The stone was shaped by nature through glacial action during the last ice age and deposited in a large moraine at the south coast of Norway at Liste. The bronze plaque and text were completed in Norway before shipment to Toronto. The memorial is therefore in every respect a true part of Norway. The unveiling took place in September 1976 in the presence of H.R.H. Crown Prince Harald at a site closer to the lake. Moved to this new location in “Little Norway Park” ten years later and rededicated in November 1987 in the presence of his Majesty King Olav V.