MacKay Champion Genealogy - Person Sheet
MacKay Champion Genealogy - Person Sheet
NameArthur “Art” Gordon Blades 
Birth Date29 Oct 1922
Birth PlaceBarrington, NS
Death Date17 Mar 1965
Death PlaceUpper Musquodoboit, NS
MemoDied in the 1965-03-17 EPA plane crash near Upper Musquodoboit https://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=19650317-2
FatherJohn “Lester” Blades (1888-1973)
MotherOlive “Ollie” Genevieve Hitchens (1894-1973)
Spouses
Birth Date1940
Birth PlaceMoncton, NB
Death Date24 Jan 2005
Burial PlaceHillside, NB
MemoHillside United Baptist Church Cemetery
FatherRoy Clifford Lutes (1893-1981)
MotherHelen Mary Russell (1900-1971)
Children“Stevie” Stephen Arthur (1964-2021)
Notes for Arthur “Art” Gordon Blades
Private, Royal Canadian Ordnance Corps
Died in the 1965-03-17 EPA Flight 102 plane crash near Upper Musquodoboit https://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=19650317-2
Location of memorial: Down the dirt road that connects to the 224 at: 45° 5.1820' N 62° 57.6167' W . What3Words: ///spice.correlates.earbuds. Very approximately 1900 Caribou Rd, Upper Musquodoboit, NS B0N 2M0
Gary Blades writes
He was another important person in my life. He was a nice Uncle. He was very quiet and polite. He procured gas powered engines for me for those model airplanes we flew in our teens. He was a heavy equipment mechanic in Moncton. I would write letters to him asking him to get this or that particular engine. And he would buy them and bring them for me when he came home from time to time. I really liked him.
I remember once Art came home for Christmas and he came to our house with his parents (my grandparents) on Christmas Eve. I had bought Art a snow shovel for a present. I gave it to him. It was ridiculously small. I guess it was a childs shovel. I had not thought about that at all. My Grandmother looked at Art and said "what are you going to do with that?". Art went "sssssh, sssssh" and graciously accepted the gift. His act of grace saved the moment and made me feel good. I was really happy they came to visit. And they were happy that I liked them.
Art was a bit of a father figure to me for a while as my step-father was cool and distant and we did not bond. I was very interested in model airplanes at that age. They were powered with minature diesel engines that ran on an alcohol based fuel. I used to write letters to Art (in Moncton?) telling him that I wanted this or that engine and he would buy one and bring it for me when he came home. I was very pleased that he would buy these engines for me.
I think he worked in Moncton. I think he was a heavy equipment mechanic. He came to Barrington once in a while to visit his parents. My knowledge of him stems mostly from those visits. I walked to my grandfathers house to see him when he was home. It was on one of those visits that he returned to work on that ill fated flight.
I was in school when Mom got news of the airplane crash. She called the principal and he let me leave. I remember walking home that day. There is a memorial to him and the other victims of the flight in Musquodoboit. I have been meaning to go there.
(later)
I don't know anything about Art's military service. I will look into it. I don't know much about my fathers military service either. He landed in France sometime in 1944. I think. He was posted to Antwerp. He was in the RCEME. I think he was involved in logistics. Antwerp was vital to the Allies. It was the only big port that had not been blown to pieces. My father met a Belgian girl while he was there. He "fell in love" (whatever that means). They got married at the end of the war and he brought her back to Canada. A few years later they brought me into the world.
(later)
I won't be able to tell you much about Art. He is a bit of a mystery. He was quiet and withdrawn. A bachelor. He didn't talk about himself. He didn't talk much at all.
He worked out of province. I think he worked in Moncton. I think he was a heavy equipment mechanic. He came to Barrington once in a while to visit his parents. My knowledge of him stems mostly from those visits. I walked to my grandfathers house to see him when he was home. My mother didn't like him or my grandparents but I ignored her.
Art was a bit of a father figure to me for awhile as my step-father was cool and distant and we did not bond. I was very interested in model airplanes at that age. They were powered with minature diesel engines that ran on an alcohol based fuel. I used to write letters to Art (in Moncton?) telling him that I wanted this or that engine and he would buy one and bring it for me when he came home. I was very pleased that he would buy these engines for me. It was on one of those visits that he returned to work on that ill fated flight.
About The Crash
Researchers / historians Norm Murnaghan and Daniel Goguen are documenting the crash. Norm writes: my father was the captain on this flt. I am reachable in Halifax if anyone needs, or wants to share, information. regarding EPA Flight 102 Mar 17,1965. Daniel writes: The EPA Flight 102 research started in 2008-09 when New Brunswick premier's executive assistant told he had lost a cousin aboard that flight. I then got in touch with Norm 2011 who's a retired pilot himself.
Died in the 1965-03-17 EPA Flight 102 plane crash near Upper Musquodoboit https://aviation-safety.net/database/record.php?id=19650317-2
Location of memorial: Down the dirt road that connects to the 224 at: 45° 5.1820' N 62° 57.6167' W . What3Words: ///spice.correlates.earbuds. Very approximately 1900 Caribou Rd, Upper Musquodoboit, NS B0N 2M0
Gary Blades writes
He was another important person in my life. He was a nice Uncle. He was very quiet and polite. He procured gas powered engines for me for those model airplanes we flew in our teens. He was a heavy equipment mechanic in Moncton. I would write letters to him asking him to get this or that particular engine. And he would buy them and bring them for me when he came home from time to time. I really liked him.
I remember once Art came home for Christmas and he came to our house with his parents (my grandparents) on Christmas Eve. I had bought Art a snow shovel for a present. I gave it to him. It was ridiculously small. I guess it was a childs shovel. I had not thought about that at all. My Grandmother looked at Art and said "what are you going to do with that?". Art went "sssssh, sssssh" and graciously accepted the gift. His act of grace saved the moment and made me feel good. I was really happy they came to visit. And they were happy that I liked them.
Art was a bit of a father figure to me for a while as my step-father was cool and distant and we did not bond. I was very interested in model airplanes at that age. They were powered with minature diesel engines that ran on an alcohol based fuel. I used to write letters to Art (in Moncton?) telling him that I wanted this or that engine and he would buy one and bring it for me when he came home. I was very pleased that he would buy these engines for me.
I think he worked in Moncton. I think he was a heavy equipment mechanic. He came to Barrington once in a while to visit his parents. My knowledge of him stems mostly from those visits. I walked to my grandfathers house to see him when he was home. It was on one of those visits that he returned to work on that ill fated flight.
I was in school when Mom got news of the airplane crash. She called the principal and he let me leave. I remember walking home that day. There is a memorial to him and the other victims of the flight in Musquodoboit. I have been meaning to go there.
(later)
I don't know anything about Art's military service. I will look into it. I don't know much about my fathers military service either. He landed in France sometime in 1944. I think. He was posted to Antwerp. He was in the RCEME. I think he was involved in logistics. Antwerp was vital to the Allies. It was the only big port that had not been blown to pieces. My father met a Belgian girl while he was there. He "fell in love" (whatever that means). They got married at the end of the war and he brought her back to Canada. A few years later they brought me into the world.
(later)
I won't be able to tell you much about Art. He is a bit of a mystery. He was quiet and withdrawn. A bachelor. He didn't talk about himself. He didn't talk much at all.
He worked out of province. I think he worked in Moncton. I think he was a heavy equipment mechanic. He came to Barrington once in a while to visit his parents. My knowledge of him stems mostly from those visits. I walked to my grandfathers house to see him when he was home. My mother didn't like him or my grandparents but I ignored her.
Art was a bit of a father figure to me for awhile as my step-father was cool and distant and we did not bond. I was very interested in model airplanes at that age. They were powered with minature diesel engines that ran on an alcohol based fuel. I used to write letters to Art (in Moncton?) telling him that I wanted this or that engine and he would buy one and bring it for me when he came home. I was very pleased that he would buy these engines for me. It was on one of those visits that he returned to work on that ill fated flight.
About The Crash
Researchers / historians Norm Murnaghan and Daniel Goguen are documenting the crash. Norm writes: my father was the captain on this flt. I am reachable in Halifax if anyone needs, or wants to share, information. regarding EPA Flight 102 Mar 17,1965. Daniel writes: The EPA Flight 102 research started in 2008-09 when New Brunswick premier's executive assistant told he had lost a cousin aboard that flight. I then got in touch with Norm 2011 who's a retired pilot himself.