1918–1995
Mount Pleasant Cemetery
Plot L Section 27 Lot 20
Marion Alice Powell-Orr was born in Toronto towards the end of World War I and from an early age, her eyes were fixed on the clouds. Leaving school after grade eight, she worked tirelessly to pay for flying lessons, earning her private pilot’s license in 1940, a rare achievement for women at the time. When World War II erupted, Powell-Orr answered the call, joining Britain’s Air Transport Auxiliary. She ferried Spitfires, Hurricanes and other aircraft across England, braving unpredictable weather and enemy threats. Her courage and precision made her one of the few Canadian women trusted with such missions.
After the war, Powell-Orr returned home where she continued to soar, becoming the first woman to manage a flying club and later founded Aero Activities Limited, which trained countless new pilots. Logging over 21,000 flight hours, she shattered stereotypes and inspired generations of flying enthusiasts. Her contributions earned her the Order of Canada in 1986 and a place in Canada’s Aviation Hall of Fame.
Today, Powell-Orr rests in Plot L Section 27 Lot 20 of Mount Pleasant Cemetery, the perfect spot for a woman whose life was anything but ordinary. Her story is a testament to grit, vision and the limitless skies she conquered.
Sources:
• Canada’s Aviation Hall of Fame – “Marion Alice Powell-Orr”
• Royal Air Force Museum – “Women of the Air Transport Auxiliary”
Photos:
• Headshot - Official ATA (Air Transport Association) photo, circa 1939, Public Domain
• Edmonton Journal (December 13, 1939)
