Bracebridge senior flies high with Aviation Hall of Fame nod
Captain Bob Barrett could soon join an exclusive club with his nomination into Canada's Aviation Hall of Fame.
The Bracebridge man has been flying for 56 years and sat in over 20 different aircraft.
The sun has risen and set during the more than 20,000 hours Barrett spent in the air, often navigating by just the stars at night.
The avid pilot said the idea of getting into the Hall of Fame never occurred to him.
"It's something that nobody ever talks about," he said. "You're not ever flying along with your buddies in the cockpit and say, 'Hey, think you'll go in the Hall of Fame someday?' No, that never happens."
Captain Bob Barrett at the helm of one of the various aircraft's he's flown in his storied career. (Courtesy: Regina Barrett)
Barrett's aviation life story includes countless trips to Canada's rugged north bringing life-saving supplies to those who needed them most.
He has flown in cold conditions in a Second World War-era DC-3, affectionately called 'Gooney Bird' because of its ability to carry large loads. Unfortunately, it lacked luxuries like heating.
While Barrett has worn many hats over his extensive career, he said he favours his pilot's hat the most.
The Bracebridge man's Hall of Fame nomination recognizes his role among arctic frontiersmen connecting Canada to Canadians in the north.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
'He didn't want to die': Family of Calgary man killed in standoff speaks out
Family of a Calgary man killed after a 30-hour standoff with police last week are speaking out, sharing details of the tense and heart-wrenching experience.
Toronto family doctor who called patient's body 'perfect' suspended for 3 months: tribunal
A family doctor in Toronto has been suspended for three months after a disciplinary tribunal found that he failed to follow proper protocols while examining a patient's breasts and made inappropriate comments about her body.
Ohio mom who left toddler alone 10 days when she went on vacation pleads guilty to aggravated murder
An Ohio mother whose 16-month-old daughter died after being left home alone in a playpen for 10 days last summer while she went on vacation was sentenced Monday to life in prison with no chance of parole.
Retired teacher pleads guilty to paying for sex with 15-year-old in Collingwood, Ont.
In a Barrie courtroom on Monday, a retired high school teacher from the Niagara Region pleaded guilty to sexual touching and obtaining sexual services from a 15-year-old boy in Collingwood in 2021.
Hertz CEO out following electric car 'horror show'
The company, which announced in January it was selling 20,000 of the electric vehicles in its fleet, or about a third of the EVs it owned, is now replacing the CEO who helped build up that fleet, giving it the company’s fifth boss in just four years.
5 charged in Calgary kidnappings that targeted women
Calgary police have charged five men in a pair of kidnappings last year that targeted innocent victims.
Demand soars for solar eclipse glasses in Canada. Are they worth buying?
The demand for total solar eclipse glasses used to safely view the rare celestial event has been ramping up as sellers, along with astronomy and eye-care experts in Canada, warn that viewing the eclipse with the naked eye is dangerous.
Canadian commander of volunteer fighter group dies in Ukraine
A Canadian-born commander of the so-called Norman Brigade, a volunteer fighting group in Ukraine, has died.
Woman, 18, killed by co-worker's vehicle on Highway 1 in Moose Jaw
Moose Jaw police say an 18-year-old woman who was at work has died from injuries she sustained in a collision with a vehicle being driven by her co-worker last Thursday.