The NetLetter
For Air Canada Retirees
(Part of the ACFamily Network)
October 20, 2012 - Issue 1226
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First Issue published in October 1995!
(over 5,400 subscribers)
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NetLetter Past Issues
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Donation Information
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Send cheques payable to "ACFamily Network" to:
ACFamily Network
#800 - 15355 24th Ave, Suite 523
Surrey, BC V4A 2H9
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Sponsors
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Greetings!
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Welcome to the NetLetter!
We welcome you to allow the NetLetter to be your platform, and opportunity, to relive your history while working for either TCA, AC, CPAir, CAIL, PWA, AirBC, Wardair, etal, and share your experiences with us!
Terry Baker and the NetLetter Team
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| Our First 75 years - Compiled by Terry Baker |
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 1976 - May 1st - Charter Class fares introduced on regular scheduled flights.
From the Collector's edition and Souvenir copy of "enRoute" magazine.
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 Front covers of "Between Ourselves" magazine
Issue #24
Jan. 1945 through
#34, Dec. 1945.
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1947 - April 1st - US employees eligible to join the company pension plan.
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| Reader Submitted Photos - Compiled by Terry Baker |
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 Reader Submitted Photos - The photos and information below have been submitted to us by our faithful readers.
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 Betty Draper has sent us these photos -
Mitchell B-25 on the Smith River airport ramp in September 1944. Note the Russian star emblem.
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These photos are of the Atlas Sky Merchant that went around the world and was in Regina in 1948. The photo shows the whole plane and the logos on the side with the various flags and countries visited.
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| TCA/Air Canada People Gallery - Compiled by Terry Baker |
 Below we have musings from the "Between Ourselves" and "Horizons" magazine, Air Canada publications from years gone by, as well as various in-house publications. The NetLetter has been fortunate enough to have our readers donate vintage Trans-Canada Air Lines and Air Canada publications from as far back as 1941 to share with you. These have been scanned and are being prepared for presenting in a special area of the ACFamily Network for archival and genealogy research.
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Issue dated - March 1976
Extracted from the "Horizons" magazine -
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 Great Lakes Airlines has introduced a new piece of equipment on the Sarnia-London-Toronto route in the form of the Convair 580. Shown in the background along with Company Station Attendants Wayne Milligan and Kelvin Magee, and FX Flight Attendant Joan Cameron. Air Canada handles Great Lakes Convair 440s at both Toronto and London. The older piston planes are being replaced with the newer 580s with turbine engines. |
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 Manpower Planning session.
Reviewing performance and career development activities, potential programs, human resource information system development, manpower analysis and forecasting and staffing policies and procedure are personnel representatives from across the system.
Shown at the meeting, held at the Queen Elizabeth Hotel in Montreal are, clockwise from the left: Alf Stone, London, Eng.; Ben Vezina, Montreal; Ian Buchanan, Montreal; Dave Forbes, Toronto; Roger Clark, Dorval; Ron Vigars, New York; Marg Hamilton, D'Arcy Little Yves Plante and Ian Cook, Montreal; Captain Charlie Simpson, Dorval; Glen Adams, Dorval; Gord Simons, Montreal; Anna Vermeeren, Dorval; Pat King, Kent Swedell and Marion Forbes, Montreal; Dave Fairweather Vancouver; Jeff Reynolds, Montreal and Bill Griffith, Winnipeg. Addressing the group on specific agenda items were Marg Hamilton, Roy Pennell, Vince Macdonald and Ian Cook of Headquarters Personnel & Organization Development.
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| Alan's Space - by Alan Rust |
I'm back! Sorry for the long absence. I see that Terry, Bill and Lisa don't really need me now as things ran pretty smoothly here in my absence. In the past we had to suspend the NetLetter when either Terry or I were gone. Now thanks to Bill and Lisa, this isn't an issue.
Bill Woods submitted the link to the video below. This is a fantastic video, worth saving. There are others at the site to see also, enjoy!
This was filmed by a woman who is a NASA photographer and was riding in one of the F18's accompanying the space shuttle: So far, this video has only been viewed by 5,000+ people, not millions, yet; like some of the other videos, so not very many people know about it!
Speakers on, and remember to open it to "full screen" to view...
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| FA18 extended view of Space Shuttle Endeavour's flyover Southern California |
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Canadi>n/CP Air/PWA, Wardair, etc. People & Events
- Compiled by Terry Baker
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 News and articles from days gone by gleaned from various publications from C.A.I.L. and its "ancestry" of contributing airlines. " Info Today" a daily company news service for employees inaugurated July 2nd, 1992. December 31st, 1992 - Time Air, Ontario Express and Inter Canadian merged into Canadian Regional Airlines Ltd. |
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Issue dated - July 1992
Found in the "Info Canadi>n" magazine -
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 Employees at the Print Services decided to take control and start to run their department more like a business. In the photo we have Print Services manager Ana Wagner, centre, at the printing press with some of the employees who've helped turn things around at the department; upper left: Bob Buesseeker, front from left: John Davies, Florence Cooper, and Joe Stephens.
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 A class act. At the recent 25 year anniversary dinner in Vancouver, these rowdy pilots held a bit of a reunion of their own. The group was the pilot class hired on July 19, 1967. From left: captain Gerry Branigan, captain Lyle Ell, first officer Bruce Rapier, captain Tony Beatty, first officer Gene Miklossy, captain John Tang, captain Al Thompson, captain Mac Jones, captain Lee Weber, kneeling, captain John Gillingham, captain Pat Johnston and captain Tony Archbold. Missing was captain Ray Gamlin. Photo by Gary Perdue.
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 Calgary In-flight and Airports employees went for a stroll common among new customers - they walked the wing. It was all part of a promotion that CBC was preparing for the 1992 Calgary Stampede. The group of wing walkers included, from left: George Janovcik, Jethro O'toole, Ron Dent, Gary Boccabella, Lisa Mitchell, Sally Presidente, Joanne Goulet, Elaine Franzky, Linda Alexander, Heather Sutherland, and Jennifer Bradnam.
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| Reader's Feedback - Compiled by Terry Baker |
Every week we ask our readers for their stories or feedback on what they have read here in previous issues. Below is the feedback we have received recently.
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Betty Morgan sends us this, in reference to NetLetter nr 1224:
In the 1952 picture at Niagara Falls, the only people I recognize are Walt Fowler and Jack Morgan who would have been 32. I met him when he was 39. Betty |
Mae Wilson has sent us this information:
We had a Pionairs information meeting in Montreal on October 16th. People from Air Canada departments talking to us about Pensions, Medical Insurance, Claims Secure and Financial Issues. Each speaker was allotted a limited time, followed by questions from the floor. This is the third of these meetings we have had in six years. It has always been well-attended with about 200 Pionairs Members. It takes place in a hotel in the morning, followed by a buffet lunch. Members mail in registrations before hand with a cheque covering the cost of the luncheon.
This might be an interesting event for others to set up in their Districts. We'd like to hear what they are doing, too. We could learn from one another which events are successful... and worth trying.
Mae Wilson, Past Director, Quebec District Pionairs This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. |
Paul Dibranou sends us this correction to the information in NetLetter nr 1224 under "Readers response" (this was originally extracted from the "CP Air News" issued December 1983 eds):
In the photo regarding the Open House in YVR Ops Centre, there are a couple of errors...
1) The picture was taken during an impromptu visit with then President Dan Colussy in the cafeteria in the YYZ Hangar.
2) My name is PAUL Dibranou, not Phil. I tried to have it corrected at the time but obviously it didn't happen.
3) For Frank Vanderglesen - it should read Vandergiesen.
Other than that, I thoroughly enjoy your publication. Keep up the good work, always great to see items from "back in the day".
Regards, Paul Dibranou (retired) CPAIR, Canadian Pacific Airlines, Canadian Airlines, Air Canada |
Ken Pickford sends us this suggestion:
Just one comment on issue #1224 and the photo that you indicate is "the interior of the TCA Lockheed aircraft".
I've seen that photo before and I'm almost willing to swear it's the interior of one of the Lancastrians, the converted Lancaster bombers used on the Government Transatlantic Air Service operated by TCA from Montreal to Prestwick during WWII. If an official AC photo actually includes that "Lockheed" caption, I think it's an error. |
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We have had some response regarding the photo of the St. John's ticket office staff we pulled from the "Between Ourselves" issued January 1944 in NetLetter nr 1225. We are not surprised about the mis-information as the magazine was numbered 13.
Re-reading the article in the magazine, there is no indication of the company mentioned below. A. Harvey & Co, who also handled B.O.A.C, PanAm and Northwest Airlines in addition to T.C.A.
Tom Sparkes tells us:
Re: the article concerning Staff of St. John's CTO, Jan 1944.
The people shown in the photo are not Employees of TCA/AC but employees of Harvey's Travel Agency, of whom Angus Crane and Leonard were Managers. Their Sales Office was at The Old Nfld. Hotel. At that time TCA/AC Employees worked at Torbay Airport and at a later date the CSO/Ticket Office of TCA/AC was moved to the Hotel as well, consequently we had The Airport. Staff, Reservations Offices and the CSO all situated in different locations. At the time I started in 1963, all of the people shown in the photo were gone and Angus was the General Manager of HTA. In 1944, Harvey's were General Sales Agents for TCA. I was given this info by a Senior Pionair, Bas Vokey, who was a Sales Rep with the Company. Regards, Tom Sparkes Retired AC Emp 085642
Stu Vokes weighs in with this:
Re: your article on St. John's ticket office. From what I understand, at that time A harvey & Co represented TCA as General Sale Agents. Angus Crane & Leonard Earle were Managers with A Harvey & Co. Ltd.
They also represented other airlines as per listing in the telephone directory, circa 1946. They went on to become Harvey's Travel agency and are now "Carlson Wagonlit Travel - Harvey's Travel". I am not sure when TCA opened their own CTO in St. John's. I believe in 1944, TCA only staffed Torbay Airport. (This info as per my father Basil Vokey Sales Rep YYT (retired after 37 years - now age 90.) Regards, Stu vokey (retired TCA/AC employee)
Incidentally, here is part of the article:
"We are sorry sir, but your flight will not operate today, in fact operations for the next few days are doubtful"
"But why didn't I go yesterday? I saw other passengers and my flight was to have taken place yesterday."
"Oh no sir, the flight which went yesterday was the flight which should have gone the day before yesterday. If you are lucky, let me see now... yes I think so, your flight with a bit of luck may get away by, well, this is Monday, yes at least by Saturday I should think. That is if we have some fine weather before Saturday, otherwise, etc., etc."
However, it isn't as bad as one might imagine. By the time one of the more sympathetic females of the St. John's City Ticket Office has broken down and wept on the shoulder of the passenger, he feels so sorry for the poor people in the CTO that he says, "Well, I wouldn't have your job for any money." and everyone feels much better. - eds)
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Odds and Ends.
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 Sometimes we receive articles and information that just doesn't fit in our other areas. This is where it goes!
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Canada's new polymer bank notes.
Polymer notes are more durable and secure against counterfeiting, and last at least 2.5 times longer than paper notes and are better for the environment. (Not sure about being better for the environment as I don't throw mine into the garbage!). The $100 and $50 are presently in circulation, the $20 is due November 2012 and the $5 and $10 are due by late 2013.
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Terry's Trivia and Travel Tips - by Terry Baker
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Spirit Airlines increases fees for carry-on and checked bags. The airline has announced that starting November 6, 2012 it will be charging $100 for passengers if they wait to pay for carry-on baggage at the gate. The fee was formerly $45. Spirit, which already charges for all bags that do not fit underneath a seat, says the gate-check fee is intentionally high in order to discourage fliers from waiting until the last minute to check and pay for bags. Spirit and Allegiant are the only airlines in the U.S. that charge for carry-on baggage. (source The Daily Oct 3/12)
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| Smileys - Compiled by Terry Baker |
As we surf the internet and back issues of airline magazines, we regularly find airline related jokes and cartoons. Below is our latest discovery.
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 Heather Johannson found this cartoon from the Vancouver Sun newspaper in with some old paycheque stubs she was shredding: Sorry, I don't know the date, but think it might have been during contract negotiations of some sort.
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 This cartoon by Don Rice was in "Info Canadian" issue July 1992.
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The NetLetter is an email newsletter published (usually) once a week and contains a mixture of nostalgia, current news and travel tips. We encourage our readers to submit their stories, photos and/or comments from either days gone by or from present day experiences and trips. If we think that the rest of our readers will enjoy it, we will publish it here.
We also welcome your feedback in regard to anything we post here. Many readers have commented with additional information, names and personal memories from the photos and articles presented here.
The NetLetter, which is free, is open to anyone that wishes to subscribe but is targeted to retired employees from Air Canada, Canadian Airlines and all the other companies that were part of what Air Canada is today. Thanks for joining us!
We hope you have enjoyed this issue of the NetLetter, see you next week!
Sincerely,
Your NetLetter Team
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Disclaimer: Please note, that neither the NetLetter or the ACFamily Network necessarily endorse any of the airline related or other "deals" that we provide for our readers. We would be interested in any feedback (good or bad) when using these companies though and will report the results here. We do not (normally) receive any compensation from any companies that we post in our newsletters. If we do receive a donation or other compensation, it will be indicated as a sponsored article or link.
E&OE - (errors and omissions excepted) - The historical information as well as any other information provided here is subject to correction and may have changed over time. We do publish corrections when they are brought to our attention.
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First published in October, 1995
- Chief Pilot - Terry Baker, Nanaimo, B.C.
- Co-pilot - Alan Rust, Surrey, B.C.
- Flight Engineer - Bill Rowsell, Londesboro, Ontario
- Stewardess - Lisa Ruck, Brooklin, Ontario
To contact us, send an email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
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