Elected officials across Quebec are denouncing Air Canada’s decision to indefinitely suspend several regional travel routes in the province.
Four of the eight shuttered regional airport stations, and eight of the 30 cancelled routes, are in Quebec. Two other scrapped routes link Quebec to maritime provinces.
Without the flights, people in several parts of the province — including the Lower St. Lawrence, the North Shore, Gaspé and Abitibi-Témiscamingue — are effectively cut off from major city centres.
Gaspé Mayor Daniel Côté said with Air Canada no longer serving the Gaspé airport, visitors to the region now have the sole option of a more than 10-hour drive.
“It hinders service, and it hinders the connectivity of the region,” he said.
Coté said his major concern is for people travelling for business, and he hopes another airline will be able to fill the void left by Air Canada.
Most of the cancelled routes are in Atlantic Canada. (Tim Kindrachuk/CBC)
Rimouski Mayor Marc Parent said aerial transportation is essential to economic development in the regions, and wrote on Twitter that he’s “extremely disappointed” by the announcement.
People living in the affected regions rely heavily on air travel to connect with the rest of the province and the world, and in many cases, have very few alternatives, especially when it comes to accessing medical care.
“It’s terrible, but it’s not a surprise for me,” said Sept-Îles Mayor Réjean Porlier, who added air travel in the regions serves the market, not individual customers.
He said flying in and out of the North Shore is extremely cost-prohibitive, and even people with medical appointments in Quebec City — an eight-hour drive from Sept-Îles — are forced to travel by road, because they can’t afford the plane.
When Air Canada announced last October it would reduce its daily flights between Quebec City and Sept-Îles from three to two, Porlier said residents and business owners are “hostages” to the airline’s monopoly.
“It’s a hard blow for all the regions,” said Marilène Gill, the Bloc Québécois MP for Manicouagan.
The Union des municipalités du Québec has also spoken out against the decision.
A statement from the organization says it’s a particularly difficult time for the regions, which are trying to kickstart their economies, especially with tourism revenue.
Airline blames pandemic for widespread cuts
Air Canada is COVID-19’s impact on travel for the cuts, stating the demand for both business and leisure travel has plummeted.
Air Canada spokesperson Pascale Déry wrote in an email to Radio-Canada the profitability of regional routes is dependent on the company’s larger domestic and international flights, and that local demand for regional flights is not enough to keep them operational.
Quebec Transportation Minister François Bonnardel told Radio-Canada he’s working with Air Canada and other airline partners to find a solution to best serve Quebecers. He said he’s also working with his federal counterpart on the file.
“This decision by Air Canada will be very disappointing to the residents and communities affected by these service cuts, but it reflects the unprecedented impact COVID-19 has had on the aviation industry and its workers,” said federal Transportation Minister Marc Garneau.
“We understand this will have an impact on many Canadians across the country and we continue to work with Canadian airlines and airports during these challenging times.”
EDMONTON – RCMP say a second suspect has been arrested in the killing of an Alberta county worker.
Mounties say 28-year-old Elijah Strawberry was taken into custody Friday at a house on O’Chiese First Nation.
Colin Hough, a worker with Rocky View County, was shot and killed while on the job on a rural road east of Calgary on Aug. 6.
Another man who worked for Fortis Alberta was shot and wounded, and RCMP said the suspects fled in a Rocky View County work truck.
Police later arrested Arthur Wayne Penner, 35, and charged him with first-degree murder and attempted murder, and a warrant was issued for Strawberry’s arrest.
RCMP also said there was a $10,000 reward for information leading to the arrest of Strawberry, describing him as armed and dangerous.
Chief Supt. Roberta McKale, told a news conference in Edmonton that officers had received tips and information over the last few weeks.
“I don’t know of many members that when were stopped, fuelling up our vehicles, we weren’t keeping an eye out, looking for him,” she said.
But officers had been investigating other cases when they found Strawberry.
“Our investigators were in O’Chiese First Nation at a residence on another matter and the major crimes unit was there working another file and ended up locating him hiding in the residence,” McKale said.
While an investigation is still underway, RCMP say they’re confident both suspects in the case are in police custody.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2024.
RICHMOND, B.C. – The Integrated Homicide Investigation Team says the 26-year-old son of a man found dead on British Columbia’s Sunshine Coast has been charged with his murder.
Police say 58-year-old Henry Doyle was found badly injured on a forest service road in Egmont last September and died of his injuries.
The homicide team took over when the BC Coroners Service said the man’s death was suspicious.
It says in a statement that the BC Prosecution Service has approved one count of first-degree murder against the man’s son, Jackson Doyle.
Police say the accused will remain in custody until at least his next court appearance.
The homicide team says investigators remained committed to solving the case with the help of the community of Egmont, the RCMP on the Sunshine Coast and in Richmond, and the Vancouver Police Department.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2024.
VANCOUVER – Mediated talks between the union representing HandyDART workers in Metro Vancouver and its employer, Transdev, have broken off without an agreement following 15 hours of talks.
Joe McCann, president of Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1724, says they stayed at the bargaining table with help from a mediator until 2 a.m. Friday and made “some progress.”
However, he says the union negotiators didn’t get an offer that they could recommend to the membership.
McCann says that in some ways they are close to an agreement, but in other areas they are “miles apart.”
About 600 employees of the door-to-door transit service for people who can’t navigate the conventional transit system have been on strike since last week, pausing service for all but essential medical trips.
McCann asks HandyDART users to be “patient,” since they are trying to get not only a fair contract for workers but also a better service for customers.
He says it’s unclear when the talks will resume, but he hopes next week at the latest.
The employer, Transdev, didn’t reply to an interview request before publication.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 13, 2024.
