Scott Maclagan was born in Toronto in 1939, and that is where he spent his early life, growing up against the backdrop of the Second World War. The family relocated to the Beaverton area in 1948, and Scott initially attended a one room schoolhouse before going to high school in Orillia, where he remembers being in the army cadets. He expressed interest at this time in joining the RCAF after he saw a low level jet flight, but – hedging his bet – he also applied to go to Ryerson in 1955, where he planned to study in the new TV and Radio Arts course. The RCAF did call, and Scott was asked to attend the Officer Selection Course at London, Ontario. Scott was one of 30 accepted, and he went on to basic training in Centralia. After Centralia the recruits went on to Winnipeg for basic navigation training, which lasted until June 1956. Scott received his wings, and was given a month’s leave, returning to Winnipeg while he awaited his orders to report to Cold Lake. By this time, the Cold War was in full swing, and Scott had opted for the airborne interceptor option offered by the RCAF. In Cold Lake he met Dave Strachan, who would become his pilot in the CF-100 aircraft that would become their home. While doing that portion of their training, Scott and Dave witnessed a number of accidents and fatalities, a testament to the dangerous nature of their work. North Bay and Squadron 433 would be the next stop, and Scott and Dave were further immersed in NATO and NORAD operations. Dave married Marilyn during this time – and even had a short honeymoon in Ottawa before being called back to his RCAF duties. Scott and Dave also performed a number of saves during this time, helping military and civilian aircraft to get to safety. They did not receive credit for this, and that was something Scott was keen to correct, and a key reason behind his book, Cold War over Canada. This was also the period where Diefenbaker made the decision to cancel the Avro Arrow, which precipitated a momentous exchange between Scott and the Prime Minister when Diefenbaker visited North Bay. Not long after, an RCAF doctor took away Scott’s flying status because of his eyesight, and Scott was sent to a radar station along the Pine Tree Line in Parent, Quebec. His air force career opportunities greatly diminished, and Scott changed careers, first going to Revenue Canada, and then into accounting, where he had considerable success developing programs for his fellow Canadian Forces members and working with the federal government on many occasions. Scott retired at age 79 and handed the business off to his sons, and he and Marilyn enjoyed their retirement in the Barrie area. During Covid Scott decided to write up his experiences, publishing his memoirs under the title Cold War over Canada. Scott Maclagan was interviewed at his home in Barrie by Scott Masters on June 28, 2024.
