The NetLetter
For Air Canada Retirees
(Part of the ACFamily Network)
April 25, 2012 - Issue 1202
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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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ACRA Upcoming Events- Compiled by Alan Rust
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 Retirees Welcome!
The following events are available for retirees through ACRA, the Air Canada Recreation Association.
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ACRA System Golf turns 50!
Just as Air Canada celebrates its 75 year anniversary this year, the employees who started the Air Canada Recreation Association over 50 years ago are also celebrating with their 50th Anniversary System Golf Tournament!
This is a once-in-a-lifetime milestone event that we hope you can attend.
Date: September 9 - 12, 2012
Where: San Diego, California
Venue: Sycuan Resort & Casino
Prizes: To help celebrate this event, Air Canada Vacations has donated a prize of a 7 Night all inclusive package for two to Mexico with Air and Hotel at the Gran Bahia Principe Coba in a Double Occupancy Junior Suite.
For further information and registration visit: www.acra.ca/events/system/golf.html
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| Our First 75 Years - Compiled by Terry Baker |
 1947 - April 1st - TCA DC-3 service to Boston became the first foreign airline to land at Logan airport.
1955 - June 20th - Viscount service introduced to Windsor. Six one hour courtesy flights were offered on that day.
 1973 - Feb. 4th - International spring schedule until April 28th.
1975 - Nov. 3rd - Inauguration of direct service Montreal - Guadaloupe, Martinique
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| Air Canada News |
 Non stop service between Toronto and Bogota will commencing in July. |
| Star Alliance News |
 TAP Portugal will offer WiFi inflight service between Europe and North/South America this year, one of the first European airlines to offer this service. Virgin Airlines has no plans to join the Star Alliance. |
| Pionairs Golf Tournament |
 Celebrate Pionairs 35th anniversary at our Annual Golf Tourney, June 19 & 20th, 2012 in lovely Cavendish, PEI in the Canadian maritimes. Come join us. Non-golfers are welcome. For details click on the image or visit this link. |
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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.
We welcome photos of interest from our readers. Please check your cupboards and shoe boxes, we bet you have some excellent photos lying around! If you do, send them to us and we will consider them for publication in a future NetLetter. We prefer good quality Air Canada/TCA, and Canadian/CP Air, etc. airline related photos, with descriptive text and names (whenever possible) included with the submission.
David Williams sends us this group photo of the ResII team at Winnipeg in 1986:
On a bright cloudless day in the fall of 1986, two private jets carried identical loads of precious data from Toronto to Winnipeg. The future travel plans of thousands of passengers were moving, in duplicate, to their new home on Portage Avenue. This was the start of the most complex technical feat ever attempted by the Computer & Systems Services Branch. Reservec II was being moved from Toronto, where it was born 16 years ago, to Winnipeg, the site of C & SS's most recent and modern installation. Some have likened it to a heart transplant, others have more accurately described it as changing an engine in mid-air. While most of the traveling public was unaware of this major event, it took two years of planning and development to successfully make the transition. Work began in mid-1984 when it became apparent that, the Toronto computer did not have the capacity to handle the expected growth in the passenger reservations area. After much research to find a computer large enough and compatible with existing programs. The Sperry 1190 series computer was chosen to replace the existing Univac 1145 computers.
 Here is a photo of the Winnipeg implementation team who had moved ResII from YYZ to YWG - sorry I do not have all the names.
David Williams 97523
In an effort to get the names, David emailed Gerry Stasiuk, Ted Ross, Shirlee Schacter, Carol Lawrence, Ed Storrie, Dawn Anderson, Brad Gay and Irv Christjanson. This was quite an exercise and Shirlee Schacter seems to have come up with a consolidated list by correlating all the responses, and here we go:
Hi David,
I am late sending this to you because I was trying to consolidate the info received from the various sources I sent the picture to. Time consuming, as I'm sure you can appreciate.
By far, the names received from Brad Gay and his YWG colleagues was the most comprehensive and they kindly provided the position of the various people in the picture. They do have an advantage since the original framed picture is still hanging at 355 Portage Avenue, however there were not any names attached to it, so it was a collaborative effort on their part.
Where you see the letter X on the list below, it represents an unknown full or partial name. It might also be interesting to make this a kind
of interactive news item and ask the NetLetter readers to send in any names they notice are not mentioned in the article. Just a thought. I know this whole endeavor has really motivated the YWG gang to try and put a name to each and every face.
Thanks for this opportunity to travel down the "C&SS Memory Lane" once again! It brought back good memories to a lot of people.
Shirlee
Row 1 (bottom) left to right: Doug Gifford, X, Len Poremba, X, Dave Williams, Garth McClellan, Mike Wong, Ted Ross.
Row 2 left to right: John Reed, David Reed, Les Draeger, Don Bedard, X, X, X, Bob Robbins, X. Row 3 left to right: Murray Brocklehurst, Dave Bra, Todd Moore, Anna Li, Carol Lawrence, Project Director; Gerry Stasiuk, Project Manager; Ona Reeves, Dawn Boulet, (Is Dawn Boulet the same as Dawn Anderson?) Wendy Thiessen, Donna Janke, Charlotte Khan, Leslie Messing. Row 4 left to right: X, Larry Boitson, Glenn Poremba, Jack Inouye, Don Hargot, Rick Morris, Harry Dudar, X, Diane Dougall, Susan Haire (Groves), Marg McGregor. Row 5 left to right: Hushtasp Bhumgara, Art Pries, X, X, Bill Horner, Azam Mulji, Tim Matimoe, Chris Molloy, Sandy Gladman, Helen Gauthier, Diane Semenko, Alex Dufault, (was Helen Gauthier Helen Sterzer?). Row 6 (back) left to right: Brynley Bennett, Ken Thomas, Stan Majowski, Don Lloyd, Paul Pelletier, Janet Chau (Lemky), Judie Molloy (Loat), Bernie Goertzen, X. Left side (bottom to top): Randy Byrnes, Mubashir Tariq, Gerry Lecocq, Gary X, Mike Daly. Right side front (bottom to top): Brad Gay, X, Basil Daoust. Right side back (bottom to top): Denny Chau, Karla Binnie, Bill Hales, X, X, Peter Paley.
Sandy Ross mentions that herself, Peter Own, Larrie Davies, Bruce Sharp, Bill Horner, Jack Cook, and Dave Bloomfield were missing. (Well someone had to fix the bugs - eds)
Don Coontz was the Unisys Project Director. Ted Ross points out that there are a number of the team missing from the photo, those working shift and people from Toronto in particular.
In September 2001, the NetLetter Chief Pilot - Terry, visited the international sand castle contest held at Harrison Hot Springs in B.C., and came across this clever depiction of the activity around the departure of a flight.
  
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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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 Jack Morath has sent us these photos, taken by Eroulla Stavrinou at LHR during 1970/80's.
In this photo we have left to right: Frank Shettlesworth, Penny Proudlock and Tom Doggart. |
 Here we have Tony Marlowe and Bryan Sygrove. |
 Pictured here with Jenny Watts, are Pat Newman and Sally Oakman (Raw). |
 And in this one we have Bob Lynch with Eroulla Stavrinou. |
 Jan Wegman has sent us this photo and information: This undated picture is Purser Ron Mallar receiving a box from the AC PR lady (Sandy ???) from YVR to carry to LHR. In the box are the items found that year around Seymour Mountain from the TCA North Star which had crashed on December 9th 1956. The crash location was found that year and all items (buttons a watch, name tags etc.) were brought to LHR for rehabilitation prior to being returned to living relatives. Upon arrival in LHR, a fully formally dressed funeral director in a limo accepted the items. i.e. full honors for all items. I saw the result of their efforts to clean and rehabilitate all items and they must have done an excellent job.
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 Jan Wegman also sent us this photo of the crew which operated the Air Canada/Lawson "Around the world".
This was the crew upon arrival back in Toronto February 1987.
This is the IFS working crew for the P Lawson flight of that year.
The FSD was Max Anderson from YYZ also a former Mayor of Oakville Ontario, in the white shirt in the back. The FA front at the right is Mary Dohey, who was also the recipient of the Canada Cross, as a result of her efforts to calm a hijacker on an AC flight in 1971. Second from the left is Gretha van der Heyden? The purser, last row on the right was Harry Lane from YHZ.
(Mary Dohey was awarded the Cross of Valour in 1976 as a result of her efforts during the hijacking of a DC-8 out of Calgary on November 12th, 1971. For more info visit: www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MaryDohey - eds)
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Issue dated - October 1975
Weaned from the "Horizons" Magazine
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 Vice President Jack Callen played host to Central Region active and retired employees who celebrated 25, 30 and 35 year of service with the company. The guests included Chairman Yves Pratte and Harold Miloff, Director, Employee Communications. Shown at the dinner are, back row, from the left: Wally Ritchie, Thunder Bay; Bill Carnahan, Toronto; Jim Somerville, Timmins; Frank Garrett, Sudbury; John McFarland, Joe Nosko, Ron Williams, David Forbes and Wally Moorehead, Toronto; Rus Brown, London, Ont.; George Farrow, Toronto; Jim Mayoh, Windsor; Ted Nichol and Bus Creighton, Toronto. Front row, from the left: Walt Fowler, London, Ont.; Art Stanton and Gwen Jeffery, Toronto; Mr. Pralle; Nancy Walchuk, Jack Callen and Roy Woodward, Toronto.
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Issue dated - January 1951
Extract from the "Between Ourselves" magazine -
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 Here we have the photo of a Christmas Colleen. Elizabeth Ann Hughes is with Stewardess Eva Mossop, who flew from her birthplace in Eire to Winnipeg, home of her foster parents in time for Christmas.
Eva Mossop retired f/a of 40 years with Air Canada on their 50th Birthday. She's still alive and well in Vancouver, and still does her volunteer bit as an Ambassador out at the Airport, weekly!
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| Alan's Space - by Alan Rust |
 The Last Flight of Discovery
(From Vintage Wings Canada)Space Shuttle Discovery (OV-103) made one last eye-popping and glorious flight aboard NASA's gleaming and massive 747 Shuttle Carrier Aircraft (SCA) from the Shuttle Landing Facility at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida up the length of the East Coast of America to Dulles Airport in Washington.
Once over DC, the SCA lofted Discovery on her back round the Capitol and the region, allowing her to bask in the admiring gazes of hundreds of thousands of Washingtonians. The pilots and former Discovery crew aboard the SCA were reluctant, no doubt, to bring her to her final full stop. Discovery contrasted with the highly polished 747 mother ship in that she wore a glorious patina of grime, grease and repair from 28 years of hard delivery work encompassing 39 missions to space and a magical 365 days total time in space.
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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 it's "ancestry" of contributing airlines. CP Air's first male cabin crew member to retire was Roy Van Hove, Passenger Service Director, who retired after working flight 402 which arrived at YVR on June 27th 1980. |
 June 4th 1955, CP Air inaugurated service between Amsterdam and Vancouver under the command of Capt. Lew Ellert.
Another colorful timetable. |
 Elaine Fried sends us this photo of 5 from the Customer Relations team which consists of 53 employees in Calgary. We extracted this comment by Elaine in the Canadian Flyer July 1998 edition. Elaine Fried says the group has to perform a difficult balancing act in dealing with customer complaints: "We have to be compassionate but at the same time, we don't want to give the farm away as many accuse us of doing."
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Issue dated - October 1987
Found in the "Info Canadi>n" Magazine
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Under a banner "Unwanted rider gets free meal", are details about a skunk which climbed into a cargo pallet at Val d'Or on September 29th, causing a one hour delay. Employees finally lured the skunk out of the pallet with a crew meal. (Is there a message here? - eds)
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Issue dated - May 1970 (among the magazines donated by Bruce Patrick) - Extracted from "CP Air News" Magazine
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 HONORED FOR 25 YEARS SERVICE Employees who celebrate their silver anniversaries with CP Air during 1970 joined President John C. Gilmer and the officers of the company for cocktails and supper at the Hotel Vancouver April 24th, 1970. Their wives accompanied them.
Following the pin presentation, Mr. Gilmer and stewardess Diane Peterson posed with the newest members of the Quarter Century Club for this photo. They are, from left: Andy Wisdahl, at 65, oldest of the group, Ralph Miller, Ray Nelles, Bill McCloy, Camille Drolel, who traveled the farthest for supper from Rome, Mr Gilmer, Lyle Langpap, from Toronto, Diane Peterson, Joe Ferris, Vic Kern, Gunnard Falk, Bob Martin and Ken Cooper from Kelowna, B.C. at 41, youngest of the club. Raymonde Ouellette and Cy Charter were unable to attend.
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Issue dated - September 1985
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 DORVAL station attendants and mechanics were honored by USAir, receiving that carrier's 1984 performance award for ground handling. The Dorval crews handled contract carrier USAir with no delays
during 1984.
Back, from left, Stan Kowalewicz, airport service supervisor, ramp; W. Hume, station manager, USAir; Pierre Francoeur, Yvon Meloche, Gaby Gagne, Ying Hui and Alan Wood, station attendants; John Macinnis, air engineer 2; and Jose Dimayuga, aircraft mechanic. Seated, from left, Mario Rosa, airport service manager; Francois Puvilland, station attendant; Ken Cave, lead station attendant; Manny McIntyre, station attendant; and Larry Johnson, supervisor, maintenance.
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 South American employees greeted Hans Erkens, system general manager, cargo, who was on an inspection tour of their bases.
In Lima, front row from left. Abelardo Basurco, cargo agent; Roslo Lopez, part time agent; Lucho Palomino, cargo sales agent; and Arnaldo Pacora, manager, cargo sales, Peru. Middle trio, Enrique Angulo, cargo sales agent; Lucrecia All, clerk/steno; and Erkens. Back, Angel Bracesco, general manager, Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador; and Raul Cifuentes manager, cargo development, South America.
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 In Santiago, from left, Raul Hudson, general manager, Chile; cargo agent Pablo Lorca, who received his five-year service pin; and Erkens and Cifuentes. |
| 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.
Regarding the photo of the jet cell in NetLetter nr 1199 and then 1201, Jerry Zadorozny sent this information: To anyone interested re: test cell in YUL mechanic identification in photo is: in upper R/H side Bert Bell, later became instructor. Lower L/H side I/D not able to identify.
Jerry
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 Refering to the photo of the Winnie King party from "Between Ourselves" magazine issued April 1964 which we had in NetLetter nr 1199. As there were no names attached to the article, we asked our readers for help.
Bob Belding has sent these names for us: I can identify a few of the ladies in the photo: Back row - 3rd from left: Jean Watson, Middle row - 2nd from left: Dorthy Eliason, 4th from left: Lois Morrison, 5th from left: Phoebe Wiens, - 6th from left: Flo Grimaldi.
Many other faces are familiar, but names just don't come to mind. Hope this helps.
Best regards, Bob Belding |
Odds and Ends
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Those of you interested in aviation stories, a new book has been launched. Details of all 7 books authored by Thomas Block a retired
US Airways Captain are on www.amazon.com
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Terry's Trivia and Travel Tips - by Terry Baker
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 Those of us who live on the West Coast and who have friends who do not avail themselves of our 10% discount, but choose to cross the boarder to Bellingham and to fly with Alligiant Airlines, should be aware that carry on luggage, i.e. the roll away type, will be charged $35US per bag or $30US if booked in advance via computer. Checked luggage for the first two pieces are charged at $35.00 per piece and $50.00 per piece thereafter. There are size limitations, and the charges are per segment i.e. one scheduled take off and landing. Check the web site for all the details.
Here are a few more Interline Specials by Caesar Airway Vacations:
Kauai from $521US*
*3 nights at the Aston Aloha Beach Resort. Kids 12 and under, stay and eat FREE.
Honolulu with confirmed air from San Jose from $577US*
*3 nights at the Maile Sky Court. Kids 17 & younger stay FREE.
Maui with confirmed air from San Jose from $596US*
*3 nights at the Kaanapali Ocean Inn. Kids 17 & younger stay FREE.
Big Island with confirmed air from San Jose from $541US*
*3 nights at the Royal Kona. Kids 17 & younger stay FREE.
Call Today! 1-800-422-3727 Monday through Friday, 8:30 am to 6 pm CST |
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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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