Welcome to our 85th Anniversary Frequent Flyer edition!
Happy Birthday BC Aviation Council! BCAC is Canada's oldest aviation and aerospace organization representing all aspects of the industry. Technically, we know of one older organization that represents a small slice of aviation. The minutes from the first meeting of the council are attached to this Frequent Flyer. A wonderful piece of history.
Throughout the decades, the Council has taken this historic honour very seriously. Driven by Volunteer expertise and enthusiasm supported by cost effective staffing and operations, BCAC is working long hours to support the industry second most damaged by Covid (worst hit were the live performing arts).
We have our work cut out for us - aviation and aerospace have lost some of their luster. We need more of our youth, especially women, indigenous heritage and rural/remote residents, to join our passionate and professional ranks. In addition, we need to help voters and policy makers understand that aviation and aerospace is not "just" another industry: it is our most powerful social-economic infrastructure, supporting the expansion of a modern, evolving nation.
Aviation and aerospace needs to be treated as critical infrastructure, not as a cost recovery cash cow as it has been for decades. That is the economic equivalent of shooting ourselves in the foot. Increasingly other nations, especially our neighbors to the south, are recognizing this. Too much is at stake to allow ourselves to fall behind.
The next 5-15 years needs to be focused on these two aviation and aerospace themes: the need to attract more youth to the industry; and, respecting that the sector is critical infrastructure and must be treated as such. The third theme is, of course, sustainability.
The BC Aviation Council looks forward to working with all of you on advancing this crucial discussion. Let us know your views here.
Image #1 - The public lines up to see the interior of the United Airlines “Mainliner” Douglas DC-3 on display at Vancouver Airport at the time of the introduction of this type of aircraft into commercial service, ca. 1938. (City of Richmond Archives 997 5 19).
Image #2 - WWII aircraft mechanic, pilot, and career flight attendant Ruth Johnson poses beside the Aero Club of BC’s De Havilland Tiger Moth DH82c at the Vancouver Airport, ca. 1946. (City of Richmond Archives, 1997 5 82).
Visit our Silver Wings event page for more details.
Register here! bit.ly/SW-23 
Interested in event sponsorship or making a donation to the Online Auction?
Please contact dave@bcaviationcouncil.org
Questions? Contact us at info@bcaviationcouncil.org
Save the Date: BCAC's "Soaring Above Challenges" Nanaimo Conference 2024
We're excited to announce that our 2024 Conference is scheduled for May 27-29, 2024 in Nanaimo, BC. Mark your calendar now and check in with our draft event webpage closer to the date for more details including agenda, speaker profiles, sponsorship opportunities, activities (including add-ons), travel and hotel partners, and more.
Questions? Please contact dave@bcaviationcouncil.org.
Photo/YCD - Andrew Latrielle
Aviation Accidents Down: TSB
Canada’s Transportation Safety Board released on June 21 its report on transportation occurrence statistics for 2022. While the marine and rail sectors saw year-over-year increases in occurrences, the aviation sector saw a decrease, from 191 accidents in 2021 to 165 in 2022, this despite a marked increase in aviation activities as the industry recovered from the severe COVID-related cutbacks in activity.
Also notable was the drop in accidents from the 10-year average of 233.
The TSB cited Statistics Canada figures of 5.2 million takeoffs and landings at Canada’s major and certain smaller airports, a 14.1 percent increase in activity over 2021. Although 2022’s traffic statistics were only 84.9 percent of pre-pandemic levels, the accident rate was only 71 percent of 2019’s numbers, confirming a definite downward trend.
Twenty-four of the 2022 accidents were fatal, causing the death of 34 people, which is nine percent below the average accident and fatality rate from 2012 to 2021.
This is fantastic news that reflects the industry's deep safety culture.
Sources: Canadian Aviator Magazine, BCAC. Photo/Parks Canada, Catherine Beaulieu)
Air Products has been selected by Edmonton International Airport as the hydrogen and technology provider for Alberta’s first hydrogen fuel cell passenger vehicle fleet. Under the agreement, Air Products will station a mobile hydrogen refueler at the airport to provide hydrogen for the fleet of Toyota Mirai hydrogen fuel cell vehicles.
The airport will begin with a fleet of five hydrogen fuel cell vehicles to be used by employees, with plans to expand the fleet to as many as 100 cars to serve as a taxi service at the airport. Fueling of the vehicles will begin next week.
“Air Products is proud to support Edmonton International Airport in this first-mover project to establish the first passenger hydrogen fuel cell vehicle fleet in Alberta,” said Eric Guter, Air Products’ global vice president, Hydrogen for Mobility. “Access to clean hydrogen fueling infrastructure is key to the energy transition and efforts to decarbonize transportation. Air Products’ innovative and efficient mobile fuelers will accelerate the use of hydrogen as an emissions-free transportation fuel as permanent hydrogen infrastructure is built in Western Canada.”
Earlier this year, Air Products announced plans to build the first commercial-scale hydrogen refueling station in Edmonton. The multi-modal station, which will serve heavy-duty and light duty vehicles will be located near Air Products’ net-zero hydrogen energy complex under construction in Edmonton.
The new Edmonton station, scheduled to open in 2025, will include two hydrogen refueling lanes with dispensers for heavy-duty vehicles such as commercial and municipal trucks, and Air Products’ own truck fleet.
In addition, the station also will have two fueling positions for light-duty hydrogen fuel cell cars. The hydrogen refueling station is supported in part by $1 million (CAD) in funding from Natural Resources Canada’s Zero Emission Vehicle Infrastructure Program.
This new production facility adds to Air Products’ presence in Edmonton. Air Products already operates three hydrogen production facilities, as well as a 55-kilometer hydrogen pipeline supplying customers in industries including refining, petrochemical and others.
Hydrogen, improving battery technologies, and sustainable aviation fuels are key for aviation and aerospace to enhanced its sustainability.
(Source: Lehigh Valley Business, Stacey Wescoe, BCAC. Photo/Tom Arban)
Minister of Transport announces Canada’s first proposed drone safety regulations for beyond visual line-of-sight operations
On June 23, 2023, the then Minister of Transport, the Honourable Omar Alghabra, announced the first proposed Beyond Visual Line-of-Sight (BVLOS) drone rules in Canada, which are also among the first in the world. The proposed changes to the Canadian Aviation Regulations (CARs) include rules for lower-risk operations of drones beyond visual line-of-sight, as well as for the operation of medium-sized drones within visual line-of-sight.
The proposed rules would require drones to be capable of detecting and avoiding other air traffic to ensure safety. They would also introduce a new class of pilot certification for lower-risk BVLOS operations, including a requirement to meet a new drone pilot medical standard, and eliminate the requirement to obtain a Special Flight Operations Certificate (SFOC) for certain lower-risk BVLOS and medium-sized drone operations.
These proposed changes would benefit Canadians as it would permit drone operations such as package delivery to remote communities, first responder operations, and natural resources and wildlife surveys to take place – among many other potential uses. More information here.
The drone disruption era is closer than many people realize.
(Source: CILTNA Air Transport Updates, Photo/Unsplash)
Jeremy Wang (left) and Carl Pigeon, co-founders, Ribbit
Canadian company to service remote Canada using self-flying plane in one-year deal with feds
A Canadian startup has received a yearlong contract with the federal government to deliver cargo to remote areas of Canada using a self-flying airplane. Ribbit, an autonomous plane service company founded in 2020, and the federal government have agreed to a one-year, $1.3-million contract to test the airline's self-flying technology.
Jeremy Wang, chief operating officer of Ribbit and a graduate of the University of Waterloo, says the airline uses a conventional fixed-wing airplane retrofitted with software and hardware so it can fly fully autonomously.
"You can sort of think of it like a really advanced autopilot, so from gate-to-gate the airplane will do everything by itself," he told CTV's Your Morning on Tuesday.
This includes taxi, takeoff and landing, Wang said. His co-founder, Carl Pigeon, told CTV News Kitchener in May that the company had been approved to fly without a pilot on board at a test range in Alberta. The goal, Wang says, is to make transportation more accessible and reliable for everyone.
"So with small, autonomous planes flying frequently and doing so in a really cost-effective manner, we hope to make a difference for these communities for things like food, medicine and other time-sensitive supplies," he said.
Public records show that Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada awarded a one-year contract worth more than $1.3 million to Ribbit on May 18.
A spokesperson for Transport Canada told CTVNews.ca in an email on Thursday that the contract is through a program called Innovative Solutions Canada (ISC), described as helping Canadian startups and small- or medium-sized businesses "develop their innovations to stimulate technology research, development and commercialization of Canadian innovations."
"The contract will enable Ribbit to test and demonstrate the capabilities of their pilotless cargo aircraft system," the spokesperson said. "Transport Canada is participating in reviewing the results of these tests as a supporting department of the ISC program to help inform departmental knowledge of the company's proposed technology."
The company also announced in a news release on Thursday further details of its contract with the federal government. Ribbit says it will provide Transport Canada with a single aircraft, as well as a remote crew and maintenance services, for autonomous cargo flights for one year. The news release from Ribbit says it has completed more than 200 hours of "hands-free flight" on a two-seat airplane and received a Special Flight Operations Certificate in 2022 allowing uncrewed flight tests. The company also says it has received letters of intent from "leading retailers" worth $42 million a year.
Ribbit will aim to show that its technology is safe and works in a northern environment, Wang said, with data from these flights used to guide future policy and regulation.
Wang also sees potential for this technology in other remote regions of the world, including in Alaska, central Australia, areas of continental Africa and island nations, with a long-term goal of carrying passengers.
(Source: CTV News, Michael Lee with notes from CTV News Kitchener Videographer Krista Sharpe. Photo/Julie Slack)
The world's most (and least) powerful passports – how Canada ranks.
The latest from the Henley Passport Index is out, and Japan has been knocked off the top spot for the first time in five years, falling into third place.
The latest ranking, released Tuesday (July 18), is based on exclusive and official data from the International Air Transport Association (IATA).
Singapore is now officially the most powerful passport in the world, with its citizens able to visit 192 destinations out of 227 around the world visa-free, the report says.
Germany, Italy, and Spain all move up into second place with visa-free access to 190 destinations, and Japanese passport holders join those of six other nations — Austria, Finland, France, Luxembourg, South Korea, and Sweden — in third place with access to 189 destinations without a prior visa.
The United Kingdom has turned the corner after a six-year decline, jumping up two places on the latest ranking to fourth place — a position it last held in 2017.
The United States, meanwhile, continues its now decade-long slide down the index, plummeting a further two places to the eighth spot with access to just 184 destinations visa-free.
Both the U.K. and the U.S. jointly held first place on the index nearly 10 years ago in 2014, but have been on a downward trajectory ever since, the ranking shows.
Afghanistan remains entrenched at the bottom of the Henley Passport Index, with a visa-free access score of just 27, followed by Iraq (score of 29), and Syria (score of 30) — the three weakest passports in the world.
Canada is now in seventh place on the list, tied with Greece, with visa-free access to 185 destinations. (Earlier this year, Canada took the eighth spot, but maintained a score of 185.)
Greater travel freedom
The general trend over the history of the 18-year-old ranking has been towards greater travel freedom, with the average number of destinations travellers are able to access visa-free nearly doubling from 58 in 2006 to 109 in 2023.
However, the global mobility gap between those at the top and bottom of the index is now wider than it has ever been, with top-ranked Singapore able to access 165 more destinations visa-free than Afghanistan.
In a press release, Dr. Christian H. Kaelin, chairman of Henley & Partners, said only eight countries worldwide have less visa-free access today than they did a decade ago, while others have been more successful in securing greater travel freedom for their citizens.
“The UAE has added an impressive 107 destinations to its visa-free score since 2013, resulting in a massive leap of 44 places in the ranking over the past 10 years from 56th to 12th position,” Dr. Kaelin said.
“Of the countries sitting in the Top 10, the U.S. has seen the smallest increase in its score, securing just 12 additional destinations. Singapore, by comparison, has increased its score by 25, pushing it up five places over the past 10 years to number one.”
Singapore and South Korea, high climbers on the Henley Passport Index Top 10 over last decade, boast relatively high degrees of openness compared to the five countries with the biggest disparity between the travel freedom they enjoy, versus the visa-free access they provide to other nationalities.
The U.S., Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Japan have all either slid down the ranking or remained in the same place as their openness stagnates, the ranking says.
The BCAC is a member of the Canada-US Future Borders Coalition.
(Source: PAX News, BCAC. Photo/Fotinia-Shutterstock)
Victoria-based artist designs commemorative loonie honouring trail-blazing female engineer
Elsie MacGill redefined what was possible for women in Canada during her lifetime, says Royal Canadian Mint
They called her the Queen of Hurricanes. Now, pioneering aeronautical engineer and woman's rights activist Elsie MacGill is featured on the newest commemorative loonie, designed by Victoria-based artist Claire Watson. Watson says she was selected by the Royal Canadian Mint last year to craft the design for the loonie honouring MacGill. Since 2019, she has designed three silver commemorative coins. However, this design is her first depicting the legacy of an individual.
"It was exciting because I'd never done [a loonie]," she said. "Then I read about Elsie and learned a bit more about her, what she stood for, and what she did. She's quite a remarkable person, so it sounded like a great challenge."
The design was selected from among several submitted by female artists across Canada. The design also underwent a thorough vetting with engineers, historians and MacGill's family members to ensure accuracy, according to Deneen Perrin, a spokesperson with the Royal Canadian Mint.
MacGill's legacy
As the first female aeronautical engineer in the world, Perrin says MacGill, who was born in Vancouver, redefined what was possible for women in Canada during her lifetime. She was the first Canadian woman to graduate with a bachelor's in electrical engineering in 1927, the first woman in North America to graduate with a master's in aeronautical engineering in 1929, and the first Canadian woman to practise as an engineer in 1938.
In 1929, she contracted polio. Although MacGill was told by doctors that she would never walk again, she regained mobility with the use of two canes and continued her pursuit of a career in aeronautics. MacGill accepted the role of chief engineer at the Canadian Car and Foundry, where she designed the Maple Leaf II biplane.
During the Second World War, she pioneered a new, modular construction system that allowed the factory to produce over 1,450 Hawker Hurricane aircraft — a feat that led to MacGill being celebrated in a comic book story, Queen of the Hurricanes.
Perrin says the mint decided to honour MacGill as part of its mission to feature diverse, underrepresented people that have made a difference in Canada.
"Elsie MacGill was a really interesting [figure] for people to really get behind and for us to help educate Canadians about these interesting stories and interesting people," she said.
Only six percent of Canadian Commercial Pilots Licences are held by women and less than three percent of Aircraft Maintenance Engineer Licences.
West Coast-inspired, self-taught artist
Watson is a self-taught artist whose work typically depicts West Coast-inspired images, including animals and landscape scenes. She specializes in pen and ink, watercolour and digital design. Prior to her time in Victoria, she lived on a sailboat in Tofino and Gabriola Island. Watson's previous commemorative coins were quarters that celebrated the anniversary of the St. Lawrence Seaway, Canada's unique landscapes, and the 100th anniversary of the Royal Agricultural Fair in Toronto. Watson said she wanted to portray MacGill as a "confident, strong individual."
The coin depicts MacGill looking at two of the planes she is famous for — the Hawker Hurricane and Maple Leaf II. Her hands, which are wearing an engineer's ring, hold blueprints.
Three million of the commemorative coins were introduced into circulation at the start of August, two million of which have colours featuring the green and brown hues of the Hawker Hurricane fighter plane. "To be able to celebrate this trail-blazing woman was really quite incredible for us," said Perrin.
Learn more about Elsie MacGill and her legacy here and here.
(Source: CBC News British Columbia, Emily Fagan, BCAC. Graphic/True Comics issue no. 8, January 1942, Library and Archives Canada, R4349-1. Commemorative Coin artist Claire Watson)
Even more uses allowed at Delta's Boundary Bay Airport lands
Alpha Aviation, which runs the airport and subleases the surrounding lands, wants to attract more commercial and industrial tenants.
Delta council recently approved expanded uses for the Boundary Bay Airport lands. The Official Community Plan amendment expands the area of non-aviation specific uses allowed to include a seven-acre (2.5 hectare) property on Churchill Street, changing the designation from Transportation Terminal to Industrial.
The city-owned Boundary Bay Airport comprises more than 1,000 acres (almost 430 hectares) southeast of the 72nd and Churchill streets intersection, immediately north of Boundary Bay. Approximately 484 acres (196 hectares) of the airport and the lands are leased to Alpha Aviation until 2099, including about 190 acres (77 hectares) that over the past decade have already been redesignated for industrial and warehouse purposes.
Alpha Aviation subleases to various businesses, primarily on the lands adjacent to Churchill Street.
A Delta staff report notes there are interests to expand permitted aviation and non-aviation uses to attract a variety of commercial and industrial tenants, including, but not limited to manufacturing, technology, warehousing and logistics. Other permitted uses would include restaurants, cold storage facilities, film production studios, among others.
The report also notes that the Churchill Street site is currently vacant as there is limited interest to lease it for aviation-related uses only.
“Staff are supportive of opening up the subject area for broader industrial and business park uses since it would provide much-needed industrial spaces, provide additional jobs in Delta and add value to the city’s tax base and airport revenue, providing funding to help complete airport improvement projects, and support other expansion projects that are currently underway,” the report notes. “The subject area is not adjacent to the airport apron and would not impact operations at the Boundary Bay Airport. The proposed Ottawa Street extension is designed to facilitate a boundary between airside and non-airside lands.”
The airport was originally re-activated in 1983, but it wasn’t until 1997 that the city purchased the airport from Transport Canada for $10. At that time, it already had an operator, the Boundary Bay Airport Corporation.
The relationship between Delta and that company soured to the point where the municipality tried to terminate the lease, citing the company’s failure to pay property taxes. Alpha Aviation would eventually take over and its relationship with Delta has been much rosier to the point it received a lease extension until 2099.
In 2011, Delta agreed to a request by Alpha Aviation to lease lands, which don’t have direct access to the airport apron or runways for a wider range of users including warehousing, wholesaling and distribution, as well as business park office uses. The first non-aviation business to set up shop there was BC Fresh.
Several months of the year, Boundary Bay Airport is Canada's busiest airport, surpassing Toronto YYZ.
(Source: Delta Optimist, Sandor Gyarmati, BCAC)
WASCO Bin Giveaway
WASCO has fifty bins to give away (while supplies last). The only associated cost is shipping. If you're interested, please contact Trevor Zemliduk, Director, Airports, at 204.291.0290 or tzemliduk@wasco.ca.
YXS's Amelia Bearheart raises $270 for BCAC aviation and aerospace scholarships
Large and small donors are all important when building up scholarship funding to enable educational dreams to come true. At the June BCAC conference in Prince George, the airport supplied Amelia Bearhearts for each table that delegates then bid on - raising a quick addition to our scholarship fund.
Scholarship endowments and restricted funds held by the BC Aviation Council currently total $441,952 with a twelve month return of over 4%, despite the volatility in the markets over the past couple years. This is Canada's largest endowment and restricted fund supporting aviation and aerospace scholarships. It is a centrepiece of the October 26th Silver Wings Industry and Scholarship Awards Celebration at the Vancouver Convention Centre. Register for this inspiring networking event.
Government of Canada supports Indigenous aerospace company and competitive aerospace sector in British Columbia
Funding announced on the opening of the 2023 Aerospace, Defence and Security Expo attended by BCAC.
British Columbia has a vibrant aerospace sector that provides good jobs and drives economic growth. The Government of Canada has committed to helping this sector maintain that vibrancy as it builds for the future. That is why today, the Honourable Harjit S. Sajjan, Minister of Emergency Preparedness and Minister responsible for the Pacific Economic Development Agency of Canada (PacifiCan) announced PacifiCan funding of $165,750 to Harwood Custom Composites to scale up their operations and expand their manufacturing capabilities. This funding comes from the Aerospace Regional Recovery Initiative.
Harwood Custom Composites, a certified Aboriginal business, has been a key supplier of custom composite fabrication, repair, and design services to the local aerospace industry for over 20 years. The company is well-positioned to supply parts and services to meet a growing demand from aircraft manufacturers. This PacifiCan funding will allow Harwood to grow by securing equipment and materials, hiring and training new staff, and attracting new customers.
This funding announcement coincides with the opening of the 2023 Aerospace, Defence and Security Expo, delivered by the Aerospace Industries Association of Canada (AIAC). In 2019, Western Economic Diversification Canada (WD), PacifiCan's predecessor, provided $1.5M to the Association to support the growth of western Canada's aerospace industry, which included delivering the 2023 Expo.
The Expo is in its 13th year and provides an important forum for industry, government, and key decision makers to meet. Featuring exhibits, speakers, and workshops, this event supports building a globally competitive Canadian aerospace industry.
PacifiCan is the federal economic development agency dedicated to British Columbians. PacifiCan works with partners who are building innovative businesses, creating quality jobs, and supporting inclusive growth throughout our province. PacifiCan – and previously WD – has a long history of supporting a vibrant aerospace industry in British Columbia.
Quotes
"British Columbian ingenuity and skill are helping build the aircraft that transport people and goods around Canada and the globe. This funding demonstrates the Government of Canada's commitment to a thriving aerospace sector by supporting local companies in growing their business, creating highly-skilled jobs, and competing on the world stage."
- The Honourable Harjit S. Sajjan, Minister of Emergency Preparedness and Minister responsible for the Pacific Economic Development Agency of Canada
"The ARRI funding provided by PacifiCan has helped Harwood Custom Composites expand its manufacturing capacity. Thanks to the support from the Government of Canada, we will continue to provide high-quality aerospace composite fabrication services and are positioned to take advantage of new opportunities."
- Jon Harwood, President, Harwood Custom Composites
"PacifiCan's vital contribution to the Aerospace Defence & Security Expo raises the profile of the Western Canada aerospace sector in an ever-expanding global marketplace. The Aerospace Regional Recovery Initiative is having a demonstrable impact on small and medium-sized businesses in British Columbia and across the country. AIAC is proud in advocating for this important program that is helping aerospace companies be better positioned coming out of the pandemic."
- Mike Mueller, President and CEO, Aerospace Industries Association of Canada
Quick Facts
- PacifiCan is the federal economic development agency dedicated to British Columbia. PacifiCan promotes growth and diversification in B.C.'s economy by enhancing innovation, improving business competitiveness, and promoting inclusive growth.
- The ARRI program has helped several B.C.-based companies, including Harwood Custom Composites, which was previously approved.
- Founded in 1999, Harwood Custom Composites is a privately owned Canadian company located at the Victoria International Airport on Vancouver Island.
- The Regional Innovation Ecosystem Program aims to grow and nurture priority sectors, including clean technology, life sciences and digital technology, across British Columbia to build an inclusive innovation ecosystem that allows those sectors to innovate and compete globally.
- For over sixty years, the Aerospace Industries Association of Canada has worked with its members to develop what is today one of the largest aerospace industries in the world.
(Source: Cision Newswire, Pacific Economic Development Canada)
First BCAC Membership Rate Increase in 14 Years Takes Effect October 1st
BCAC Corporate Supporter membership will increase from $500 to $525 at end of this month. This is the first membership rate increase since at least 2009. Individual ($100), Recent Graduate ($20), and Student (complementary) fees remain the same.
Questions? Contact us at info@bcaviationcouncil.org.
(Photo/Charday Penn, iStock)
The following is an Guest Opinion/Editorial by BCAC Member Warren Everson, CEO of Saramac Consulting Services, and does not necessarily reflect the views of the BC Aviation Council. The BCAC works directly with the BC government and other provincial organizations and indirectly with the Federal government though eight national aviation and aerospace organizations.
What should we expect from the new Minister of Transport?
There’s good news and bad for aviation in the appointment of a new Minister of Transport. Let’s start with the good:
Pablo Rodriguez is a far more significant player in this government than was Omar Alghabra. Close to the Prime Minister, Rodriguez was once President of the Quebec chapter of the Liberal party and is the official “Quebec lieutenant” in the current Cabinet.
Rodriguez is a very experienced politician. First elected in 2004, his previous portfolio included some difficult files, notably the confrontation with Google and Meta regarding compensation for Canadian news agencies. So, Rodriguez will likely have greater freedom and authority to pursue his agenda. But, as all my clients have been asking, what is that agenda? This might be where the bad news begins. We can’t find any plan for aviation in any of the usual sources.
The federal budgets in recent years have rarely mentioned aviation. The last ministerial “mandate letter” from the Prime Minister to Omar Alghabra was crammed full of phrases like, ‘collaborate with’, ‘continue to advance’, and ‘continue to support’ – all things you say when you mean, ‘Don’t do anything.’
Transport Canada’s Framework for the Future of Canada’s Air Transportation Sector (released in March) was a startlingly modest list of housekeeping items, only one of which – labour shortages – had much to do with the industry’s urgent issues. Notably, too, the paper did not discuss issues such as climate mitigation measures, the management of unmanned aircraft, or the future of Canadian ownership rules.
We all know that Rodriguez inherits a transportation sector still scrambling to recover from the disaster of COVID, but the only issue the media can discuss is the backlog of passenger complaints. So, Rodriguez is on his own. And so are those of us approaching him.
How can we succeed in advocating policies that matter to aviation in British Columbia? This Liberal government is hugely preoccupied with urban voters, it has limited representation from rural ridings. The fate of small air carriers in rural British Columbia is not top of mind. I always urge clients to understand the Minister’s point of view. What will get his attention?
The BC Aviation Council’s Executive Director Dave Frank has an answer. During COVID, Frank saw that governments might not care about your business per se, but they care deeply about its impact on communities, workers, on the environment, and on indigenous populations. So, wrap yourself in those groups.
The Trudeau government remains in power because it successfully squeezed the NDP. It’s far, far more interested in the workers than in the owners. That’s especially true of Mr. Rodriguez, who holds an East Montreal riding where his main rival is always the Bloc Quebecois. Can you bring workers into your lobby? That sends a powerful message.
The government is also proud of the time and money it’s spent on indigenous populations; each budget has hundreds of references to this community. Partnering with the indigenous communities you serve, or with the indigenous workers you employ, can be an effective approach.
What does the aviation industry in BC want from the federal government? And which items could fit the Minister’s “politically possible” agenda? Generally, my clients want three things:
First, we need any – and every – possible program to address the shortage of skilled workers. Recruiting, education, training, internships… all the steps necessary to rebuild the workforce. This is job one. Success will improve profitability, safety, and – not unimportantly – slow that flow of complaints we keep hearing about in the media.
Second, infrastructure! Many airports are struggling to meet their normal capital spending, given the high debt loads COVID bequeathed to them. They can’t even start the larger expenditures that are coming due. Infrastructure is a winner because it's politically benign and very egalitarian – everyone can benefit.
Third, many operators are still furious about the new flight duty time regulations. With new hands on the wheel, could we see a change in the department’s aggressive stance on this issue? Sadly, I don’t think so. Reversing a perceived safety measure that Rodriguez’s predecessor introduced would be seen as hazardous. I think the most we can expect is a departmental endorsement of operator’s existing fatigue management systems and, possibly, a system of isolated exemptions issued by the regional office on a case-by-case basis.
With two years to go before the next federal election, there is a narrow window for Minister Rodriguez to address any controversial issues before campaign preparation shuts things down. Our success depends on how unified our voices are, how politically feasible our demands are, and how well we illustrate that the benefits will be felt by people that he cares about.
(Photo/Justin Tang, The Canadian Press)
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