Report by Andy Cline photos by Gus Corujo and Brian Dunn

An annual tradition of Peel Regional Police Airport Division is their spring Barbeque, held in early May at their Headquarters on Convair Drive at Pearson International Airport. The event features displays by all of the Airport’s emergency services, including GTAA’s mobile Emergency Ops Centre as well as other agencies such as Customs and Border Services, Transport Canada, and RCMP. Peel Regional Police’s other special services are also represented, including EOD, Marine and Tactical Units. The RCAF participated for the first time this year with 424 Transport and Rescue Squadron manning a display by a Search and Rescue Technician. The unit had hoped to deploy a Bell CH-146 Griffon Helicopter to the event, but it was retasked with a search and rescue mission. The event is open to the public, and hundreds of people attended, despite mostly overcast weather. The excellent barbequed food sells for a reasonable price, and rides are sold on PRP’s 3-wheeled vehicles used to patrol the terminal. The event’s proceeds go to the Air Canada’s Dreams Take Flight, which happened on the following day with an Airbus A330 full of disabled children flying to DisneyWorld in Florida. Three lucky young recipients were also given brand new bicycles and shirts courtesy of Peel Regional Police.

At the request of our Peel Police Liaison Jeff Sharp, YYZ Airport Watch parked one of our vehicles amongst the other displays, adorned with our identifying Airport Watch magnets and dash banner. The magnets had been subsidized by PRP in 2010. We opened the tailgate of the SUV and did a digital slide show for the first time, using a laptop and a 32 inch monitor supplied by Aviation World for the event. As usual we had a table laid out with our tools of the trade, including AVOP map, JP Fleets, a camera, binoculars with an air band scanner running. YYZ Airport Watchers that attended included directors Andy Cline and Brian Dunn as well as members John Bertram, Dave Corbett, Gus Corujo, Robert Crawford, Brian Dunn, John Hill, Ken Keen, Gary Kelderman, Ian Morton, and Paul Thacker, who all spent time at our display. The event is always a great opportunity to chat with our official partners, members of the airport community who may not know what we are about, and also recruit new members. The displays offer close up looks at the equipment the various services use, and the chance for them to explain their how they make Pearson safe and secure. Thanks to Peel Regional Police and Superintendent Mike MacMullen and his staff for another excellent event. Thanks also to everyone who came out and helped with our presence, despite the dreary weather. Special thanks to Brian Dunn and Gus Corujo for providing the images. More can be seen on Gus’ website: http://gusair.com/htdocs/html/peel-police.html