Learn a little of Toronto's history as told through its plaques.

Eglinton Hunt Club - RCAF Institute of Aviation Medicine

Photos by Alan L Brown - September 2007

Standing at the top of a post here at 1111 Avenue Road just south of Roselawn Avenue is a 1998 Heritage Toronto plaque which tells us about this site:

Surrounded by open fields, this site became home to the Eglinton Hunt Club in 1919. By 1929 the club added stables, arenas - one for indoor polo - and an impressive club house, all designed by architects Vaux and Bryan Chadwick. The Royal Canadian Air Force purchased the site in 1939 where Sir Dr. Frederick G. Banting directed secret research on the physiological effects of combat flying, and where Dr. Wilbur R. Franks created the world's first anti "G" flying suit and the first human centrifuge in the allied countries. During the 1950s and 60s RCAF auxiliary squadrons were based here to defend Toronto during the Cold War. The RCAF Staff School, later the Canadian Forces Staff School, occupied the site from 1960 - 1994, educating over 10,000 military officers prior to closure June 30th, 1994.

Related Toronto plaque page
Sir Dr. Frederick G. Banting

Plaque Location Co-ordinates: 43.708036 -79.409995

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Here are the comments for this page.

Posted July 28, 2010
Thank you for posting my article about Russ DeTro. I would love to hear from anyone that was stationed at Eglington Hunt Club in Toronto and was working there in test and development. when Russ was there and we were working on the anti-blackout suit. Thank you I am including my e-mail address maybe just maybe someone will answer my letter.Bunny.
thebun@communitynet.org

Posted May 29, 2010
my husband and I were both in the RCAF in 1942-1945, and stationed at the Banting Institute at Eglington Hunt Club in test and develoment. Marguerite M.(Lambert) and Russel Gordon DeTro married 12/14/45. My husband was in test and developement working in decompression chambers and human centrifuge. He was featured in the publication, "First Fifty Years" wearing (photo 9/7/45) lifejacket. Myself, I was sewing the anti blackout suits that was invented by the Dr. Franks. We both were discharge in 1945 and moved to Riverside, Washington. We now live at 225 Lime Street, Omak, WA. 98841 U.S.A. Russel Gordon DeTro passed away with Alzhimers, in Omak, Washington U.S.A. May 18, 2010 at the age of 90 years.

Posted March 8, 2009
I can remember being sent here, in 1955, from 2 Advanced Flying School, Portage la Prairie, as a very young Flight Cadet, (18) to participate in tests involving the decompression chamber, ejection tower (for testing ejection seats) plus some interesting motion sickness studies. It was a unique period after which I went back to finish my course and get my wings on April 6, 1956.
Lynn Garrison, RCAF

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