Stanley Deluce inducted into Canadian Aviation Hall of fame put 'incredible entrepreneurial stamp on aviation'

Stanley Deluce, born and raised in Chapleau,was "a genuine aviation pioneer", according to Michael Posner of The Globe and Mail, in an article written about him after his death on January 27, 2010.

Predeceased by Angela, his wife of 59 years, and his parents John and Elizabeth Deluce, in World War II, he joined the Royal Canadian Air Force becoming a Flight Officer in Squadron  126. 

At the end of the war he returned to his employment as a locomotive engineer at Chapleau with the Canadian Pacific Railway. He retired in 1976. Mr. Deluce was born in Chapleau on July 20, 1923.

In 1947, he married he married Angela Spadoni, and by 1949, he had bought a Flight Canuck aircraft to combine "his love of flying with his love of hunting and fishing", according to article about him.

Soon therafter White River Air Service was established, and over the years it led to Mr. Deluce putting an "incredible entrepreneurial stamp" on aviation, Mr. Posner wrote.

In 1970, as the Chapleau Aiport was under construction, Mr. Deluce with passenger Yvon Martel made the first official landing there. Gene Bernier, the chair of the airport commission, after whom the airport is now named, greeted them on arrival.

After Mr. Deluce was inducted into the Canadian Aviation Hall of Fame, his profile stated in part : "His development of a small commuter airline in Northern Ontario, which led to one of the largest regional airlines in Canada ... has been of great benefit to aviation in Canada".

As well as being inducted into the aviation hall of fame, he was member of the Civil Aviation Tribunal, a director of the Air Transport Association and was selected as an outstanding aviation pioneer of 1993 by the Rusty Blakey Heritage Aviation Group. He was also an honourary Life Member of ATAC.

His obituary in the Toronto Star, notes that "Stan oversaw the growth of White River Air Services with its acquisition of Sault Airways, Kapuskasing Air Service, Austin Airways, Superior Airways, Air Manitoba, Air Ontario and the startup of both NorOntair and Air Creebec. At one point in the mid 1970's after further relocating to Timmins, Stan's companies were doing charter and scheduled operations all over North America and were supplying planes, pilots and services to places as far away as Denmark, France (Reunion Island), Tunisia and Nepal."

Mr. Posner wrote that "There was never, Mr. Deluce once explained to an interviewer, any grand, master plan. 'It seemed to just come naturally. When you see opportunities you take them, but I never really had ambitions past doing things in Northern Ontario. I guess we grew because of the boys [among nine children, seven were sons, all of whom acquired commercial pilot licenses]coming into the business. Other than that, I probably never would have bothered, because after a certain point you're just adding headaches.'"

Mr. Posner noted that "As the large family and many friends gathered to pay final respects a Harvard AT-6 made a slow tributary pass over the cemetery in a fitting salute. Mr. Deluce trained on precisely such an aircraft" after joining the RCAF. A friend had arranged for the flight.

Mr. Posner also wrote that as the funeral cortage was making its way to the cemetery from the church, it was forced to stop at a railway crossing as a Canadian Pacific Railway train passed through it. All so very fitting!  My email is mj.morris@live.ca