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Page CANADA0000 (Revised 03/04/2008)

Alsaka-Washington Airways

        Joseph L Carman Jr was a Seattle WA furniture manufacturer and businessman who owned a flight instruction school and air-charter service which served the Pacific northwest. Flying one of Carman's Lockheed Vegas, Anscel Eckman with navigator, Robert Ellis and mechanic, Jack Halloran made a charter flight from Seattle WA to Juneau AK. Upon their successful Juneau arrival on April 15, 1929, Carman foundered Alaska-Washington Airways.
        Alaska-Washington quickly increased its fleet of aircraft to six Vegas all operating between Washington and Alaska via the Canadian northwest. It was plagued with mishaps, accidents and loss of aircraft which led to serious financial problems. Alaska-Washington Airways ceased operations in March 1932.

Arrow Airways

        Arrow Airways, owned by Jack Hone was formed in 1935 and based in The Pas Manitoba. Its fleet consisted of a single engine Fokker monoplane and a Waco. They flew trappers in and out of their hunting grounds, flew fur cargos out in the spring, transported mining equipment, supplies, and crews and occasionally delivered mail to isolated communities as well as providing mercy flights.
        Arrow Airways was bought out by James Armstrong Richardson in 1938.

British Columbia Airways

        On January 1, 1928 British Columbia Airways started a flying school at Lansdowne Air Field (aka Victoria Airport) with three small training planes. It purchased a Ford 4-AT-B Tri-motor passenger airplane that was used to open air service between Vancouver, Victoria and Seattle. It made its first passenger carrying flight on July 23, 1928 but shortly thereafter on August 25, 1928, the Tri-motor plunged into the Strait of Juan de Fuca killing senior pilot Harold Walker, co-pilot RL Carson and five passengers. This was also the first international air service in Western Canada.

British Yukon Navigation

Brooks Airways

        In 1933 Brooks Airways was formed by RD Brooks who had been president of a Prince Albert ground transportation firm. Brooks put three planes into operation, mostly on forestry patrols in the summer and carrying government supplies in the winter.
        Brooks Airways closed less than two years later.

Canadian Airways

        In 1924 Winnipeg was the unofficial capital of western Canada. In 1926 James Armstrong Richardson who was not a pilot but a keen businessman set up a one-aircraft company called Western Canada Airways in Winnipeg. As it expanded in the 1930's with operations across Canada, the Western part of its name was dropped as it began to be known simply as Canadian Airways.
        Canadian Airways continued to grow rapidly to a fleet of 51 aircraft becoming the second-largest operator of aircraft in the British Empire behind Imperial Airways. Their fleet was made up of all kinds of aircraft including: Curtiss Jenny, Junkers Ju 52 (CF-ARM), Fairchild Aircraft 71C (CF-ACO & CF-ACT), Junkers W 34, Fokker Super Universal, Noorduyn Noreseman, Lockheed Vega (CF-AAL) and Lockheed Lockheed L-10 Electra (CF-AZY).
        Canadian Airways operated through the 1930's until it was amalgamented into Canadian Pacific Airlines in 1942.

Canadian Flying Service

Canadian Pacific Airlines

        Canadian Pacific Railway was formed to physically unite Canada and Canadians from coast to coast. Throughout its history the Canadian Pacific Railway got into numerous ventures not directly related to the rail system. In 1942 CPR took to the skies, amalgamating 10 northern bush plane companies into Canadian Pacific Airlines (aka CP Air). Grant McConachie became CP Air's president with Punch Dickins, general superintendent and later a vice-president and Wop May, Calgary repair depot manager.
        Canadian Pacific Airlines faced operational difficulties as long as the Canadian government maintained its policy of supporting competitor, Trans-Canada Airlines as the only national airline in Canada. As a result, CP Air made a suggestion to the government that it merge with TCA in 1942. The government rejected the proposed merger shortly before making an open declaration that TCA would be Canada's single national airline. In the following years, CP Air was granted a few overseas routes and by the late 1950s, CP Air was given an opportunity to offer a daily route across Canada         

Canadian Trans-Continental Airways

        Canadian Trans-Continental Airways Airport (aka Aérodrome du Bois Gomin or Aérodrome Saint-Louis) was the first airfield in the Quebec City area of Quebec Canada. It was located in the suburb of Sainte-Foy. This airport was established by Canadian Trans-Continental Airways (aka Compagnie Aérienne Transcontinentale) in 1929 in the fields between Cap-Rouge Road and Gomin Road. It was used during the winter months to transport mail between Montreal and Rimouski. It was closed in 1938. In 1939 a new airfield was established in Quebec City called Aéroport de l'Ancienne Lorette (aka Québec/Jean Lesage International Airport).
        In the late 1920's Canadian Trans-Continental Airways used a single pontoon Loening Amphibian in the summer months. It meet ships in the Gulf of Saint Lawrence delivering mail back to Montreal.

Cherry Red Airline

Colley Aerial Service

Commercial Airways

        In August 1928 Commercial Airways was formed by WR "Wop" May. It made a noteworthy flight in January 1929 to Little Red River carrying vaccine to combat an epidemic of diptheria. Several months later in May 1929, Commercial Airways issued its own stamp for the Edmonton to Grande Prairie route. By 1931 it flew Bellanca Pacemakers over a number of routes inside Alberta spreading northward into the Northwest Territories.
        Not long after receiving a contract to carry mail to North Vermillion, Commercial Airways fell into financial difficulty and was sold to Canadian Airways.

Dominion Explorers

Dominion Skyways

Elliot-Fairchild Air Service

Fairchild Air Transport

General Airways

Ginger Coote Airways

GT Simmons

Jack V Elliot Air Service

Klondike Airways

Laurentide Air Services

London Air Transport

MacKenzie Air Service

        WW-I flier, Leigh Brintnell formed Mackenzie Air Service in 1932. In 1935 MAS used a Bellanca 66-70 Aircruiser (called Eldorado Radium Silver Express - CF-AWR) to carry uranium ore concentrate from the Eldorado Gold Mine located on Great Bear Lake in the Northwest Territories to Edmonton Alberta for further shipment to Eldorado's refinery in Ontario. Two more Aircruisers were added to MacKenzie's fleet, CF-BKV in 1938 and CF-BTW in 1940. MAS also purchased a Noorduyn Mark-III Norseman (CF-AZA) to carry air mail.
        While Brintnell was president of Northwest Industries in Edmonton, MacKenzie Air Service was amalgamated into Canadian Pacific Airlines in 1941.

Maritime Central Airways

        Maritime Central Airways was launched by Prince Edward Island native, Carl Burke and Josiah Anderson on September 30, 1941 out of Moncton, New Brunswick. It provided passenger, cargo and charter flights throughout the Maritimes, Newfoundland and Labrador. Its early fleet consisted of a Barclay-Grow seaplane, Boeing 247 and a Fairchild 24. During WW-II MCA conducted search and rescue missions for the US in Greenland.
        After WW-II MCA's fleet had grown to include a Douglas DC-3, a deHavilland Rapide, a Lockheed 10, a Crane and a PBY Canso. In addition to passenger and cargo runs in the Maritimes, MCA tasks in the late 1940s consisted of a twice weekly service to the Magdalen Islands. It carried mail, performed seal surveys in the Gulf of Saint Lawrence and off the coast of Labrador. It did ice patrols and flew charters from Charlottetown and Yarmouth to bring lobsters to Boston and New York. In 1948 MCA carried almost two million pounds of freight with its fleet growing to 2 DC-3s, 1 Canso, 4 Lockheed 10, 1 de Havilland Rapide, 2 Cranes and 2 Stinsons.
        By 1953 MCA was the third largest carrier in Canada. It launched the first air service to the French island of St-Pierre and won contracts to provide air transportation for seventeen of forty-two Distant Early Warning (DEW) Stations being built in the Canadian north. By the time the DEW projects were finished, MCA had added a Vickers Viscount, Bristol Freighter, Avro York, Douglas DC-4 and Douglas DC-6 to its fleet. Post-DEW line work included such far-flung charter jobs as a four year contract transporting Hungarian refugees and several trips shipping monkeys from India and Pakistan.
        In 1957 an MCA DC-4 loaded with vacationers from the UK crashed near Quebec killing all seventy-nine passengers. Several other accidents plagued MCA in the late 1950's. MCA set-up Nordair as a subsidiary with operations based at Dorval in Montreal. Nordair separated from MCA going on to become a major Canadian regional carrier before being absorbed by Canadian Pacific Air Lines in the mid-1980's.
        In September 1963 Eastern Provincial Airways took over Maritime Central Airways.

M & C Aviation

        M&C Aviation Company was formed in 1931 by Richmond Mayson and Angus Campbell. Mayson had been a pilot in WW-I and was one of the founding members of the Saskatoon Flying Club and one of its first flight instructors. Campbell was an engineer and was one of Mayson's pupils. In 1930 he accompanied Mayson on a barnstorming tour which blossomed into a partnership becoming M&C Aviation Company.
        M&C was initially located at Big River and then moved to Prince Albert. It provided scheduled flights to Fond du Lac, Isle a la Crosse, Yellowknife and Goldfields. Additionally it fought fires and ran mercy flights. Its only serious competitor was Canadian Airways, then the largest air transport company in Canada. By 1939 Canadian Airways had withdrawn from northern Saskatchewan leaving the field to M&C. Notwithstanding their success and accident-free record, Mayson and Campbell struggled to survive. Their company could not compare with Prairie Airways of Moose Jaw, the largest aviation company in Saskatchewan or the still larger Canadian Airways.

Newfoundland's Airways

Northern Air Service

Northern Airways

Patricia Airways

Patricia Airways & Exploration

Prairie Airways

        In the summer of 1935 the directors of the Moose Jaw Flying Club decided it would be a propitious time to set up a small airline specializing in charter and passenger flying. They hired member, Dick Ryan as manager and formed Prairie Airways. Prairie Airways initiated operation flying a DH Puss Moth and a high-wing Cessna monoplane.
        In April 1938 Prairie Airways received the first feeder line airmail contract issued by the Canadian Post Office Department. Their low bid was based on estimates using the two Beechcraft S18D's on Saskatchewan routes that extended from Prince Albert to North Battleford, south to Saskatoon and Moose Jaw and then connecting with Trans-Canada Airlines at Regina. The two S18D aircraft were ordered through Canadian distributor, Aircraft Industries of Canada in Montreal.
        In late 1941 Canadian Pacific Air Lines acquired Prairie Airways and its five aircraft (two Beechcraft S18D's, a Barkley-Grow T8P-1, a Cessna Airmaster and a Waco ZQC-6).

Starratt Airways

        Robert W. Starratt, born in New Brunswick Canada pioneered bush flying in northern Canada. In 1932 he formed Starratt Airways which operated from Hudson Ontario until it was integrated with Canadian Pacific Airlines in 1941.
        Starratt Airways was one of the airlines that laid the groundwork for commercial aviation in Canada and greatly stimulated northern development.

Skylines Express

Trans-Canada Airlines

        Trans-Canada Airlines was created by the Crown corporation, Canadian National Railways. It launched its first flight on September 1, 1937 with a flight between Vancouver and Seattle WA. Trans-Canada Airlines was known as TCA in English and Air Canada in French. Its corporate headquarter was located in Montreal and its first president was Gordon Roy McGregor.
        The creation of Trans-Canada was the joint effort between CNR management who wanted to expand the company into the new field of passenger aviation and the Canadian government. Prior to the formation of Trans-Canada there was no national airline in Canada. With WW-II looming and other nations (US) experiencing major increases in the creation of passenger airlines, it was felt that Canada should have a national airline presence. CNR was Canada's largest corporation at the time and proved an effective vehicle for the government to create a national airline.
        In response to Canadian National Railways creation of Trans-Canada, arch-rival Canadian Pacific Railway created Canadian Pacific Air Lines in 1942. In 1964, an act of Parliament proposed by Jean Chrétien changed the name of Trans-Canada Airlines to Air Canada which was already in use as the airline's French-language name becoming effective January 1, 1965. By the late 1970s, Air Canada was divested by parent CNR and the airline became a separate Crown corporation eventually privatized in 1989.

United Air Transport

         Grant McConachie started flying regular mail and passenger flights to Whitehorse from Edmonton in 1937, first with his company, United Air Transport and then with its successor, Yukon Southern Air Transport. Planes used floats in summer and skis in winter. McConachie soon realized that year round operations were more economical using runways.
        Whitehorse already had a runway but othe northern airstrips were very few and very far between. McConachie set about to remedy the situation and in 1938 hired men to clear airstrips in Fort Saint John and Fort Nelson using small tractors and horse teams. The next summer McConachie started to clear an airstrip at Watson Lake. McConachie paved the way for the Department of Transport's survey engineers when they arrived to survey for the Northwest Staging Route. When the route became important to the military, McConachie provided knowledge and advice on how to improve facilities and the route.
        Thanks to the new runways, in the fall of 1939 Yukon Southern Air Transport's planes started year round operations on wheels rather than floats and skis. In 1942 McConachie joined Canadian Pacific Air Lines and his own Yukon Southern Air Transport was bought out by Canadian Pacific Air Lines. As President of Canadian Pacific Air Lines, he continued to be a pioneer in Canadian aviation with the inauguration of fifty thousand miles of domestic, transcontinental and global routes.

Western Canada Airways

        James Armstrong Richardson (father of Canadian commercial aviation) founded Western Canada Airways in 1926 which helped open mining development in the Canadian North. WCA was the first Canadian national carrier and was first to fly out of Manitoba's Stevenson airfield which would later become Winnipeg International Airport.
        WCA's route network extended from Ontario to Manitoba, to Saskatchewan, Alberta and British Columbia, to Northwest Territories and to the Yukon. Its planes carried passengers, mail, freight, food supplies, mining equipment and machinery for mineral prospectors and mining companies. It would despatch an ambulance plane to care for the sick or injured at any time. Western Canada Airways used Boeing flying boats at Vancouver and Fokkers elsewhere. It used a Junkers monoplane for general operations and aerial photography.
        It was taken over by Canadian Airways and Donald Roderick MacLaren was made assistant general manager for British Columbia.

Wings

Yukon Airways & Exploration

Yukon Southern Air Transport

         Grant McConachie started flying regular mail and passenger flights to Whitehorse from Edmonton in 1937, first with his company, United Air Transport and then with its successor, Yukon Southern Air Transport. Planes used floats in summer and skis in winter. McConachie soon realized that year round operations were more economical using runways.
        Whitehorse already had a runway but othe northern airstrips were very few and very far between. McConachie set about to remedy the situation and in 1938 hired men to clear airstrips in Fort Saint John and Fort Nelson using small tractors and horse teams. The next summer McConachie started to clear an airstrip at Watson Lake. McConachie paved the way for the Department of Transport's survey engineers when they arrived to survey for the Northwest Staging Route. When the route became important to the military, McConachie provided knowledge and advice on how to improve facilities and the route.
        Thanks to the new runways, in the fall of 1939 Yukon Southern Air Transport's planes started year round operations on wheels rather than floats and skis. In 1942 McConachie joined Canadian Pacific Air Lines and his own Yukon Southern Air Transport was bought out by Canadian Pacific Air Lines. As President of Canadian Pacific Air Lines, he continued to be a pioneer in Canadian aviation with the inauguration of fifty thousand miles of domestic, transcontinental and global routes.

INDEX: CANADA First Flights by year

1800> 1910-19 1920-29 1930-39 1940-49 1950>
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