After 20 years in the current facilities, there鈥檚 enough planes and aviation paraphernalia and information to fill double that space.

Then, bring in a crowd of about 150, like the group that showed up for Saturday afternoon鈥檚 Big Chill social and fundraiser, and it speaks clearly to the need for a larger space for the Canadian Museum of Flight.

While existing fundraisers like the Big Chill, and the upcoming Pups for Pups (event next month), generate money to help keep the facilities open, manager Dave Arnold spoke to plans of building a new, much larger museum at the 91原创 Regional Airport in the next few years.

The team of volunteers haven鈥檛 put a big push on the project yet, but will be soon. They鈥檙e currently developing a business plan, he said, in hopes of having a new museum up and operational at the south end of the airport by about 2021.

At present, they occupy a hangar close to the tower that is about 8,000 square-feet.

The Township of 91原创 has identified a site for the new museum. It鈥檚 roughly 70,000-square-foot running alongside Fraser Highway.

鈥淚t鈥檚 just speculation at this point,鈥� Arnold said, but it鈥檚 hoped it will facilitate a 25,000-square-foot building, plus much more outdoor space.

There鈥檚 already a sign marking the location, and two of the museum鈥檚 larger planes 鈥� a Douglas DC-3 and the Conair Firecat 鈥� are occupying the site.

鈥淲ould love to have double that,鈥� Arnold said, sure the volunteer-driven association could easily fill it.

鈥淚t鈥檚 never big enough. We turn down planes all the time,鈥� Arnold said.

鈥淧lanes tend to take up a lot of space,鈥� and in addition to the 25-plus aircraft currently housed in static display and for flying at the existing museum, they have at least four others in the wings.

They have a Norseman and Cornell in their collection that are slated for restoration at a future date, but there鈥檚 not room to currently store them on site.

As well, there鈥檚 a Lockheed Lodestar that needs to be restored and will eventually come to the museum.

And, they have the nose section of a Bristol 149 Bolingbroke on display, but the rest of the aircraft is in storage due to space and cost constraints.

It鈥檚 more than just size that is motivating the move, Arnold elaborated.

Location is important too.

鈥淲e鈥檙e just lost here, so the big thing will be visibility,鈥� Arnold said, convinced the highway exposure will prompt a significant boost to tourists randomly stopping in.

The museum is open daily from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and sees about 500 tourists walk through the door in a given month, including about 100 to 150 a month who come in as part of school or special interest group tours.

Fundraising begins soon

The new museum is expected to cost about $4 million, possibly $5 million if they go with a green facility 鈥� an idea which is currently being tossed around, that could see geothermal heating and other sustainable designs.

鈥淭hose are all on my wishlist,鈥� Arnold admitted. 鈥淲hether it鈥檚 going to be possible is another questions.鈥�

The job at hand right now, Arnold said, is finalizing the business plan and starting to secure financing for the project.

鈥淲e鈥檙e going to go out in the world for much of the funds,鈥� he said.

He鈥檒l be seeking money from various levels of government, but said a lot will be required from the general public and most likely corporate donations.

鈥淭hat will likely be a road that we have to go down,鈥� he said of company sponsorships.

While existing social events like Saturday鈥檚 Big Chill help offset some of the day-to-day operating costs, the museum is going to have to be thinking much bigger to come up with the coin needed to construct the new museum.

鈥淚 think it will be three or four years before we鈥檙e there,鈥� Arnold said.

The has been around since 1977, first operated out of a barn in Crescent Beach before being moved to the 91原创 airport in 1996.

鈥� Video to come