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Friday January 8, 2016

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator Ð Friday January 8, 2016 Ultra-low-cost carrier planning flights from Hamilton airport Canada's latest airline will unveil its plans for flights out of Hamilton airport on Wednesday. That's when Dean Dacko, chief commercial officer of NewLeaf Travel, the country's new ultra-low-cost air carrier, will unveil the company's plans for making Hamilton one of its hubs. Details of the announcement remain a closely guarded secret, but in a news release airport officials promise "NewLeaf plans to revolutionize the Canadian travel market." NewLeaf's bare-bones website promises its service will feature "No more extra costs for things you don't want" and "You pay for your seat and the rest is up to you." Wednesday's announcement will include details on non-stop routes, pricing and booking. NewLeaf announced its interest in the city in June, saying it would make its headquarters in Winnipeg with bases in Hamilton and Kelowna. Ultra-low-cost carriers Ñ also called no-frills or budget airlines Ñ offer lower fares, making up for lower ticket prices by charging for extras such as food, priority boarding and baggage. The largest such operator is United States-based Southwest Airlines. Aircraft and crews for the NewLeaf flights will be supplied by Kelowna-based Flair Airlines. Ultra-low-cost carriers are new to Canada's aviation industry and Hamilton airport executives have been keen to get at least one located here as a boost to their long-cherished dream of turning the John C. Munro Hamilton International Airport into a passenger destination. While they have long argued that 2 million people live within an hour's drive of the airport, its passenger history has been one of soaring hopes followed by bitter disappointment as more than 20 airlines have come and gone through the facility. Passenger traffic peaked in 2003 at about 1 million when the airport was the eastern hub for WestJet, before the airline moved the

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Friday January 8, 2016

Ultra-low-cost carrier planning flights from Hamilton airport

Canada’s latest airline will unveil its plans for flights out of Hamilton airport on Wednesday.

That’s when Dean Dacko, chief commercial officer of NewLeaf Travel, the country’s new ultra-low-cost air carrier, will unveil the company’s plans for making Hamilton one of its hubs.

Details of the announcement remain a closely guarded secret, but in a news release airport officials promise “NewLeaf plans to revolutionize the Canadian travel market.”

NewLeaf’s bare-bones website promises its service will feature “No more extra costs for things you don’t want” and “You pay for your seat and the rest is up to you.”

Wednesday’s announcement will include details on non-stop routes, pricing and booking.

NewLeaf announced its interest in the city in June, saying it would make its headquarters in Winnipeg with bases in Hamilton and Kelowna.

2005

Ultra-low-cost carriers — also called no-frills or budget airlines — offer lower fares, making up for lower ticket prices by charging for extras such as food, priority boarding and baggage. The largest such operator is United States-based Southwest Airlines.

Aircraft and crews for the NewLeaf flights will be supplied by Kelowna-based Flair Airlines.

Ultra-low-cost carriers are new to Canada’s aviation industry and Hamilton airport executives have been keen to get at least one located here as a boost to their long-cherished dream of turning the John C. Munro Hamilton International Airport into a passenger destination.

While they have long argued that 2 million people live within an hour’s drive of the airport, its passenger history has been one of soaring hopes followed by bitter disappointment as more than 20 airlines have come and gone through the facility.

2003

Passenger traffic peaked in 2003 at about 1 million when the airport was the eastern hub for WestJet, before the airline moved the hub to Toronto’s Lester B. Pearson International Airport. In 2014 it handled 332,000 passengers.

The only year-round scheduled service from Hamilton now is a single daily WestJet return flight to Calgary. That’s in addition to seasonal service to vacation spots.

NewLeaf is headed by Jim Young, a former vice-president and chief marketing officer at Denver-based Frontier Airlines who also served for six months as president of upstart Canada Jetlines Ltd.(Source: Hamilton Spectator)

Published in the Saskatoon Star Phoenix, Saturday, January 9, 2016

Published in the Saskatoon Star Phoenix, Saturday, January 9, 2016

 

Thursday August 13, 2015

By Graeme MacKay, Editorial Cartoonist, The Hamilton Spectator - Thursday August 13, 2015 Harper heads north on campaign tour as Duffy trial resumes Stephen Harper is heading to Northern Canada in the days after his former chief of staff Nigel Wright begins testifying at the Mike Duffy trial, a campaign itinerary that will take the Conservative Leader far from the story as it begins unfolding in an Ottawa courtroom. Mr. HarperÕs chartered election plane is expected to fly to the Northwest Territories Thursday and Nunavut on Friday before heading south again. The Conservative Leader has made a habit of touring the North for about one week each summer as part of an effort to cement a legacy in the region Ð from defending sovereignty to promoting development Ð and he cancelled this yearÕs trip in favour of an early election call. His campaign stumping in the territories by comparison will be brief. Campaign spokesman Kory Teneycke declined to discuss Mr. HarperÕs itinerary this week, saying the Tories will Òprobably spend a couple of daysÓ in Northern Canada along the way. He dismissed the notion the Harper campaign is setting its travel itinerary by the Duffy case. ÒThe trialÕs going to be going on for three weeks during the middle of the campaign. WeÕre going to go to every corner of the country while the trial is on. And everywhere we go, weÕre going to have a bus or plane full of media and [weÕll be] taking questions from them,Ó Mr. Teneycke said. (Source: Globe & Mail) http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/harper-heads-north-on-campaign-tour-as-duffy-trial-resumes/article25920402/ Canada, Stephen Harper, Mike Duffy, Arctic, election, 2015, campaign, jet, Ottawa, court, Nigel Wright

By Graeme MacKay, Editorial Cartoonist, The Hamilton Spectator – Thursday August 13, 2015

Harper heads north on campaign tour as Duffy trial resumes

Stephen Harper is heading to Northern Canada in the days after his former chief of staff Nigel Wright begins testifying at the Mike Duffy trial, a campaign itinerary that will take the Conservative Leader far from the story as it begins unfolding in an Ottawa courtroom.

Mr. Harper’s chartered election plane is expected to fly to the Northwest Territories Thursday and Nunavut on Friday before heading south again.

The Conservative Leader has made a habit of touring the North for about one week each summer as part of an effort to cement a legacy in the region – from defending sovereignty to promoting development – and he cancelled this year’s trip in favour of an early election call. His campaign stumping in the territories by comparison will be brief.

Campaign spokesman Kory Teneycke declined to discuss Mr. Harper’s itinerary this week, saying the Tories will “probably spend a couple of days” in Northern Canada along the way.

He dismissed the notion the Harper campaign is setting its travel itinerary by the Duffy case.

“The trial’s going to be going on for three weeks during the middle of the campaign. We’re going to go to every corner of the country while the trial is on. And everywhere we go, we’re going to have a bus or plane full of media and [we’ll be] taking questions from them,” Mr. Teneycke said. (Source: Globe & Mail)

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Wednesday August 28, 2013

By Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator - Wednesday, August 28,

Will Canada strike Syria over Chemical Weapons Use?

Cronut’ burgers were voluntarily pulled off the menu at the Canadian National Exhibit on Tuesday, after Toronto Public Health officials identified the maple bacon jam topping as the ingredient that led to more than 79 cases of foodborne illness.

Results of tests conducted by Toronto Public Health showed that the jam – a topping on the cheeseburger with a hybrid doughnut-croissant bun served up by Epic Burgers & Waffles – was contaminated by Staphylococcus aureus toxin, which is a recognized cause of food borne illness. Source.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Stephen Harper and U.S. President Barack Obama agreed today that Syria’s recent actions call for a “firm response from the international community,” as Western countries appeared to edge toward a possible military intervention against the regime in Damascus.

Chatting by phone on the escalating crisis, Harper “made it clear that he shares the view that the recent chemical weapons attack was carried out by the Syrian regime and described the use of these weapons as an outrage,” a statement from the Prime Minister’s Office said.

Both leaders concurred that the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has appeared to try to “obscure evidence” of the attack, the statement said.  (Source: CBC News)

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Wednesday April 4, 2012

By Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator, Wednesday April 4, 2012 Auditor general slams CanadaÕs plan to buy F-35 jets Opposition parties accused Prime Minister Stephen Harper of dodging responsibility for the F-35 fiasco and said Defence Minister PeterÊMcKay should be fired for allowing Parliament to be misled about cost overruns and other problems with the trouble-plagued $25 billionÊfighter purchase. ÒItÕs absolutely scandalous that the Canadian government would intentionally provide information that they knew to be false,Ó NDPÊLeader Thomas Mulcair said after the federal auditor general released a report saying defence officials kept Canadians in the dark aboutÊcost overruns and production delays on the aircraft Ottawa plans to buy. ÒMinisters are accountable before Parliament and the Prime Minister is the first among them,Ó Mulcair told the media. ÒDid he (Harper)Êknow that the information was false that the Conservative government was giving? If so, itÕs unconscionable. And, if he didnÕt know,Êfrankly, itÕs a question of incompetence.Ó The criticism mounted even as the Conservative government moved quickly Tuesday to quell the fallout from Auditor General MichaelÊFergusonÕs scathing report, which includes the stunning conclusion that the fighters could cost $10 billion more than the defenceÊdepartment has publicly acknowledged. Harper responded by freezing the budget for the controversial fighter jet purchase and stripped the defence department of responsibilityÊfor the procurement process, handing it instead to a new secretariat within Public Works and Government Services. (Source: Toronto Star)Êhttp://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2012/04/03/auditor_general_slams_canadas_plan_to_buy_f35_jets.html Canada, Auditor General, Peter MacKay, Stephen Harper, F-35, fighter, jet, military, Defence, eject, controls, button

By Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator, Wednesday April 4, 2012

Auditor general slams Canada’s plan to buy F-35 jets

Opposition parties accused Prime Minister Stephen Harper of dodging responsibility for the F-35 fiasco and said Defence Minister Peter McKay should be fired for allowing Parliament to be misled about cost overruns and other problems with the trouble-plagued $25 billion fighter purchase.

“It’s absolutely scandalous that the Canadian government would intentionally provide information that they knew to be false,” NDP Leader Thomas Mulcair said after the federal auditor general released a report saying defence officials kept Canadians in the dark about cost overruns and production delays on the aircraft Ottawa plans to buy.

“Ministers are accountable before Parliament and the Prime Minister is the first among them,” Mulcair told the media. “Did he (Harper) know that the information was false that the Conservative government was giving? If so, it’s unconscionable. And, if he didn’t know, frankly, it’s a question of incompetence.”

The criticism mounted even as the Conservative government moved quickly Tuesday to quell the fallout from Auditor General Michael Ferguson’s scathing report, which includes the stunning conclusion that the fighters could cost $10 billion more than the defence department has publicly acknowledged.

Harper responded by freezing the budget for the controversial fighter jet purchase and stripped the defence department of responsibility for the procurement process, handing it instead to a new secretariat within Public Works and Government Services. (Source: Toronto Star)

 

Wednesday June 22, 2011

By Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator - Wednesday June 22, 2011 Back-to-work Legislation in the making Canada Post workers are gathering in the heart of Toronto's downtown to rally against the federal government's attempt to force them to go back to work if a contract agreement can't be struck. John Cartwright, the president of Toronto and York region labour council, said he expects hundreds to gather at the rally Wednesday morning at the intersection of Yonge and Dundas streets. In addition to postal workers, workers from every sector of the economy are expected to attend the rush-hour rally at one of the busiest corners in the city. Those people, Cartwright said, are standing up for the next generation of Canadian workers who deserve the same wages and benefits his generation received. As of about 8:30 a.m., more than 100 workers had assembled at Yonge and Dundas, surrounded by loudspeakers and carrying placards emblazoned with slogans like "negotiate not legislate." The rally comes two days after the Conservative government in Ottawa tabled back-to-work legislation. Parliament spent much of the day Tuesday debating the legislation, which would force workers to go back to work should the union, CUPW, and management fail to reach a deal on a new contract. The government hopes to vote on the legislation Thursday. Canada Post locked out workers on June 14, after 12 days of rotating strikes launched by the union. The two sides met for talks on Tuesday (Source: CBC News) http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/no-new-talks-set-for-canada-post-and-union-1.978939 Canada, Stephen Harper, Public service, back-to-work, legislation, majority, Ottawa, Postal, strike, fighter, jet

By Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Wednesday June 22, 2011

Back-to-work Legislation in the making

Canada Post workers are gathering in the heart of Toronto’s downtown to rally against the federal government’s attempt to force them to go back to work if a contract agreement can’t be struck.

John Cartwright, the president of Toronto and York region labour council, said he expects hundreds to gather at the rally Wednesday morning at the intersection of Yonge and Dundas streets.

In addition to postal workers, workers from every sector of the economy are expected to attend the rush-hour rally at one of the busiest corners in the city.

Those people, Cartwright said, are standing up for the next generation of Canadian workers who deserve the same wages and benefits his generation received. As of about 8:30 a.m., more than 100 workers had assembled at Yonge and Dundas, surrounded by loudspeakers and carrying placards emblazoned with slogans like “negotiate not legislate.”

The rally comes two days after the Conservative government in Ottawa tabled back-to-work legislation. Parliament spent much of the day Tuesday debating the legislation, which would force workers to go back to work should the union, CUPW, and management fail to reach a deal on a new contract.

The government hopes to vote on the legislation Thursday.

Canada Post locked out workers on June 14, after 12 days of rotating strikes launched by the union. The two sides met for talks on Tuesday (Source: CBC News)