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Saturday July 30, 2022

Editorial Cartoon by Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator – Saturday July 30, 2022

Pope Francis says Canada trip showed he may need to retire

July 26, 2022

Pope Francis has said that he can no longer travel like he used to because of his strained knee ligaments, saying his week-long Canadian pilgrimage was “a bit of a test” that showed he needed to slow down and one day possibly retire.

Speaking to reporters while traveling home from northern Nunavut, Francis, 85, stressed that he had not thought about resigning but said “the door is open” and there was nothing wrong with a pope stepping down.

“It’s not strange. It’s not a catastrophe. You can change the pope,” he said.

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 December 12, 2012

By Graeme MacKay, The Hamilton Spectator, Wednesday December 12, 2012

3 reports of fighter jet cost overruns are due this week

Wings are clipped on Peter MacKay ‘F-35’

A confidential report says Christmas break can’t come soon enough for the government, as it braces for up to three reports about the costs for the F-35 fighter jet before the House rises.

Expected as early as today is the accounting firm KPMG’s independent audit, which is reported to tally the total costs of the F-35 procurement project to anywhere from $40 billion to $46 billion, a figure almost three times the cost the government touted while shooting down anyone who disagreed, including its own parliamentary budget officer. Kevin Page estimated the cost was closer to $30 billion.

Although the KPMG report uses a longer life-cycle estimate for the jets (36 years) than the government did (20 years), the significantly higher cost will likely bring on a firestorm of outrage from opposition benches. That is, if it’s possible to ratchet up any further the outrage that emanated from the NDP and the Liberals Tuesday, as opposition members flung back at the government seemingly every claim it ever made about the F-35s.

To the government, it might have seemed like being confronted with their own ghosts of Christmas past, as the opposition chided them for underestimating the cost, for warning that if the F-35 project was cancelled taxpayers would be out a billion dollars, and for speculating that without the F-35s lives could possibly be lost.

The F-35 file is so contentious that it’s no longer handled by Defence Minister Peter MacKay, who had become a lightning rod for controversy over the fighter jets. After a scathing report from the auditor general in April, the file was transferred to Minister of Public Works Rona Ambrose. (Source: CBC News)