Refurbished T-33 Silver Star
Makes Impression at Barrie, ON

Story and photos by Gord McNulty
September 2026
A refurbished Canadair-built T-33 Silver Star in original 1950s colours is an attractive display at the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) Centennial Parkette in the Barrie, ON area. The aircraft, ex-RCAF 21443, was restored by members of the RCAF Association 441 Huronia Wing to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the RCAF in 2024.
Silver Star 21443 at the RCAF Centennial Park in Barrie, 5 August 2026.
In a project that involved considerable dedication and teamwork, the ‘T-bird’ was disassembled, relocated in two trucks from the base, and refurbished for display at a small parkette adjacent to a surveying business owned by Rudy Mak in Springwater Township just west of Barrie.
Barrie, ON RCAF parkette sign. 
RCAFA 441 Huronia Wing emblem on the Silver Star at Barrie.
Rudy assisted Wing members and other RCAF veterans with the project in appreciation of the RCAF contribution to the wartime liberation of Holland. He desired a public park that as he put it “would honour the history of the RCAF and everything that it represented.”

The memorial parkette was dedicated in December 2024. It features seven plaques outlining various details of RCAF history. One plaque, for example, describes the early days of Camp Borden, where my father Jack enjoyed his time in the RCAF.
Plaque illustrating RCAF aerobatic teams. 
The versatile Silver Star, the Canadair-built version of the Lockheed T-33 jet trainer, was famous for its remarkable longevity of 52 years in RCAF service from 1953 to 2005. Canadair built 656 Silver Stars, equipped with a Rolls-Royce Nene engine that was more powerful and provided better performance than the Allison J-33 in the Lockheed-built aircraft.
Canadair Silver Star 21443 at RCAF Centennial Parkette in Barrie.