In an encouraging sign that the worst of the pandemic may be behind us, Sault Ste. Marie’s famed Canadian Bushplane Heritage Centre (CBHC) has announced a reopening date of June 24. Closed since March 17, the decision to re-open was made at a board meeting a week ago.

According to the museum’s website, facemasks will be mandatory and social distancing guidelines are to be followed. Hand sanitizer will be supplied, and each plane will be cleaned between guest visits.

“A positive note…we got the go-ahead to open,” board member Richard Walker told a teleconference meeting with the Sault St. Marie Tourism Board.

According to TripAdvisor, the CBHC is Sault Ste. Marie’s number one tourist destination.

Meanwhile, in the nation’s capital, the Canadian Aviation and Space Museum remains closed, and will remain so for the foreseeable future as management takes more severe measures to cut costs. Employees at the museum, along with employees at the two other national museums managed by Ingenium, are being asked to take unpaid leave, which would represent an effective pay reduction of around 20 percent.

Ingenium, being a Crown corporation, is not eligible for federal wage subsidies. The museum workers’ union, the Public Service Alliance of Canada, agreed to the arrangement. Those on unpaid leave will now be eligible for the Canada Emergency Response Benefit (CERB).