Aviation Memorabilia Newsletter

1998 - October 26.

Service inaugurated between Toronto and New Orleans with A319 equipment.

Found in 'Horizons' magazine

Issue dated September 1998

Employees from Dorval Ramp celebrating 25, 30 or 35 years of service.

Left to right, front row: Tony Archer, Daniel Bessette, René Montreuil, Serge Couture, Brian Grannary, John Fox, Marcel Deguire, Jeannot Gingras, Lucien Lamarre and Yves Maurice.

Back row: Jacques Bissonnette, Robert Lacombe, René Desparois, André Faubert, Gilles Vachon, Réo Gendron, Claude Duquette, Arthur Marcil, Ron Gagné, Guy Boisvert, Dave Bradshaw, Tom Bain, Michel Haines, Michel Gagne, Terry Davis and Réal Gendron.

Issue dated October 1998

There's a first time for everything.

On August 18, 1998, the Frankfurt station loaded an unusual cargo item into the lower deck of a B-767; a 1952 'Pegaso' oldtimer destined for the Toronto 'Cars of the Century' show.

This museum car was given special care - not only because of its vintage, but also because it was the first time a car was put in the hold of a B-767. Usually, cargo this size is transported on a B-747.

Supervised by Frankfurt operations' agents and sales representatives, this special cargo is a new source for higher yield. On top of that, the car arrived three days ahead of our competition!

National capital dragon boat race festival.

On the July 4, 1998, weekend the Air Canada Blazing Paddles Dragon Boat racing team from Ottawa took first place in the Corporate Challenge and also won the Fun Final. Great first-year results!

Customer Sales & Service Agents and Station Attendants who participated were:

From left to right: D. Beauchamp, R. Guilbault, A. Cadieux, P. Cadieux, D. Gaw, S. Megannety, M. Davies, F. Klein, S. Lesniowski, M. Brooks, M. Tremblay, M. Banville, F. Sont, A. Racourt, D. Currans, C. Cadieux, J. Labelle, C. Martel, C. Bertrand, M.E. Trottier, S. Grymala, B. Scott, J. Guilbault, K. McGee and J. Muhlig.

Happy 50th (1948 - 1998) Anniversary to the Caribbean, Nassau and Bermuda.

On December 3, 1948, Air Canada's inaugural flight to the Caribbean landed at Port of Spain's Piarco International Airport at 8:30 am.

This bi-weekly service from Montreal via Toronto by Trans-Canada Air Lines - Air Canada's name back then - was provided by a 40-passenger propeller aircraft, the Canadair DC-4M 'North Star'.

Flight time was 15 hours with stops in the Bahamas and Jamaica. Because of stop-overs and rest periods, flight crews regularly spent six days on the islands before returning to their Canadian base. Service to Hamilton, Bermuda soon followed.

Nassau, Bahamas staff in 1998.

Country Coordinator - Bahamas, Gregory Tai, with casual Customer Service Agents Jennifer Cates and Donna Sherman, retired Air Canada employees.

Kingston staff in 1998.

Pictured outside the Norman Manley Airport, Kingston, Jamaica, are, left to right: Customer Service Agent Dalton Maragh; Senior Customer Service Agent Marcia Moses; Manager, Customer Service - Western Caribbean Osmond Harry; Customer Service Agents; Wendy Lue, Audrey Mills, Georgette Manning, Melanie Saliey, Katrina Abrahams; Senior Customer Service Agent Rilla Stoddart; Customer Service Agents Natalie Thompson, Roger Silvera, Jillian Hall, Michelle Williams; Senior Customer Service Agent Cheryl Thwaites.

Port of Spain staff in 1998.

Left to right: Customer Service Agents Sheldon Beepat, Ingrid Pryme, Natasha Forde, Errol Dhanpath, Dean Bissoondial; Senor Customer Service Agent Indra Maharaj; Customer Service Agents, Gillian Jack, Deanna Pilgrim, Kawal Singh.

Absent: John Pluthero, Manager, Customer Service - Eastern Caribbean. 

Hamiton, Bermuda staff in 1998.

Left to right: Country Coordinator, Operations, Jack Arnold; Customer Service Agents Donna Brangman, Polly Ricketts, Charles Rawlins; Country Coordinator, Administration, Veronica Desilva; Service Agents Carol-Ann Ramsay, Sally Walsh, Matthew Ringer.

Not in the photo: Customer Agents: Lynette Harris, Arretta Furbert, Tina Barnard, Stanley Douglas.