Bombardier is a company name that is well known all over the world, but most people are not aware of the name of the neighbourhood where the company bases its operations. In fact, the Downsview area is home to many different people as well as to Canada’s most famous company; let’s take a quick look at both.

Downsview

Downsview whish is located in the GTA along with Etobicoke, Mississauga and Brampton, is located in the north end of Toronto. The neighbourhood actually started out as a farm in the 1870s, but as industrialization hit Canada, Toronto began to expand and that included the mass development of many former outlying areas. Perhaps the greatest boom occurred after World War II, when several different neighbourhoods were built around the Downsview Airport. This facility was used as a Canadian Forces Base, although it was shut down after the Cold War ended, and most of the space was converted to an urban park.

Downsview Park has actually hosted several very high profile and well attended events. These have included World Youth Day in 2002, presided over by Pope John Paul II and attended by over 800,000 people. On the opposite end of the spectrum, the park hosted the Sarsfest concert in 2003. This event was held to raise awareness and support of the SARS crisis which hit the city that year, and included musical acts from The Rolling Stones and AC/DC to Justin Timberlake. 500,000 fans attended the event, the largest ticketed event in history.

Bombardier

The Bombardier company is well known all over the world for developing various means of transportation, from jets to snowmobiles and all the accompanying accessories. The aerospace division of the company was launched in 1986, with the acquisition of Canadair. Several more purchases of bankrupt airplane creating companies followed, and today Bombardier specializes in business jets, short-range airlines and fire fighting airborne craft. They have also been contracted for several defence developments.

Bombardier and Downsview began their relationship around the same time as the Park was created. While the Forces base was converted into the Park, Bombardier purchased the actual airport. The company uses these facilities to both build and test their new aircraft.

Who could have known that a small farm on the outskirts of Toronto would one day be the home of the fourth largest developer of aircraft in the world? The partnership of Downsview and Bombardier means jobs and a secure economy for anyone who makes their home in the GTA particularly in Downsview, Etobicoke and even Mississauga.