VOL.VOL. 6, NO.NO. 2 — WINTER 2009 VICTORIA AIRPORT AUTHORITY ININ THISTHIS ISSUE:ISSUE: • Airplanes and Ice Cream • Distinguished Visitors • Reay Creek W i n t e r 2 0 0 9 ON APPROACH VICTORIA AIRPORT AUTHORITY Editor’s desk One thing about airports is that they are true 3 - Airport News gateways to the community. Those in larger Victoria Airport Authority supports the centres often have several terminals serving local community. commercial traffic. At YYJ, we have the one 4 - Airplanes and Ice Cream commercial terminal, plus two lesser known A tribute to retiring Manager of arrival and departure points. Visitors to the Corporate Services, Danita Ouellette. area, travelling on private aircraft, arrive at the Fixed Base Operation (YYJ/FBO) in the 6 - Airport Security East Camp. Visitors of distinction, such as A look at the Canadian Air Transport royalty and high government officials, arrive Security Authority. and depart from 443 Maritime Helicopter Squadron in the West Camp. These are highly 8 - Distinguished Visitors secure events, attended by dignitaries and The Emperor and Empress of Japan, members of the press. We’ve enjoyed three of First Stop of the Olympic Flame in these special events during 2009. Remember Canada, and Prince Charles and them with us in the article, Distinguished Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall. Visitors: Royalty and Fire. 14 - Reay Creek An environmental success story. Airport security can be aggravating and even intimidating, but it’s a well-established Contents fact-of-life in the 21st century. Manager of Screening Operations Malcolm Brailsford remarks that no one is exempt from regula- tions. “I’m the manager of security, and I’m subject to screening,” he says. To find out more about security requirements and meth- ods, see Airport Security: the Human Side. How do you sum up a career? We tried to On Approach is a do just that in an interview with Danita publication of the Ouellette, one of the last employees from pre-computer, pre-airport authority days. It is Victoria Airport Authority. a bitter sweet look at a 30 year career that demanded the best she had to give. “That Phil Jensen, Editor airport is like my child,” she says. “Now it’s (250) 383-0667 time to let it go.” To find out more about [email protected] what motivated Danita over the years, be sure to read Airplanes and Ice Paul Connolly, Community Relations Coordinator Cream. (250) 953-7501 [email protected] Happy flying, Laura Lavin, Production [email protected] Phil Jensen, Victoria Airport Authority editor, On Approach 201-1640 Electra Blvd., Sidney, B.C. V8L 5V4 www.victoriaairport.com 2 VICTORIA AIRPORT AUTHORITY ON APPROACH W i n t e r 2 0 09 Airport News McTavish Interchange cial contribution and will con- Update tinue to support the many busi- nesses in our region through The Government of Canada effective transportation options ($10.5 million), the Province and key partnerships.” of British Columbia ($10.5 mil- lion) and the Victoria Airport First Nations and the Authority ($3 million) are all VAA funding partners for the $24 million Highway 17 / McTavish The Victoria Airport Authority Road Interchange to improve has donated $5,000 to the road safety and transporta- Tsawout First Nation to assist tion efficiency for local resi- in the rebuilding of their long- dents, visitors and motorists house, destroyed by fire July travelling along Highway 17. 17, 2009. Tsawout Chief Allan Claxton accepted the dona- Construction started November VAA CEO Richard Paquette presents Tsawout Chief 30, 2009 and is scheduled for tion in a meeting with VAA Allan Claxton with a donation to assist in rebuilding completion March 31, 2011. President and CEO, Richard the burned longhouse. Paquette. Victoria Airport Authority supports the Runway Extension community Project Update VAA has given funding of The Victoria Airport Authority $5,000 to the Greater Victoria continues to discuss with Development Agency for the the Province and the Federal purpose of promoting Greater Government to be partners in Victoria as a place to invest and construction of the extension of do business. Victoria International Airport’s main runway. The extension Sasha Angus, Economic will permit non-stop flights to Development Officer with Europe, and will offer the com- VAA Chair Christine Stoneman addresses the commu- the GVDA said, “The Victoria munity significant economic stimulus in terms of tourism, nity at the new McTavish Interchange ground breaking Airport Authority is a tremen- ceremony November 27, 2009. dous partner in promoting jobs and tax revenue for govern- Greater Victoria. Their efforts ments. ... are helping to drive both New Flights tinations, with CanJet providing tourism and technology in the aircraft and crews. region. With their support, the GVDA will continue to ensure WestJet is now providing sched- that our region remains a uled direct flights to Honolulu. vibrant place to live, work and This is the first scheduled flight invest.” between Victoria and Honolulu since 2006. They are also “The GVDA makes a significant offering direct service to Puerto impact in our community by Vallarta and Cancun, Mexico. helping to attract investment WestJet continues to fly non- and positive economic activity,” stop from Victoria to Las Vegas. said Christine Stoneman, VAA Chair. “The Airport Authority Air Transat is offering charter was pleased to make this finan- flights to the same Mexico des- 3 W i n t e r 2 0 0 9 ON APPROACH VICTORIA AIRPORT AUTHORITY Airplanes and Ice Cream Danita Ouellette remembers life. At the very least, airports In November 1984, she took her childhood in Richmond as have always made her feel a temporary job at the Victoria a happy time. Danita’s siblings good. airport. In those days there were much older, so she grew was no Airport Authority, so up as an only child. “I was an This year Danita retired from her employer was Transport aunt by the time I was four her long term position as Canada. She remembers finding years old,” she remarks. One of Manager Corporate Services at the new situation intimidating. her favourite childhood memo- Victoria International Airport. But she was soon promoted to “If anybody asked me what I the position of Administration wanted to be when I grew up, Supervisor, so she must have that wasn’t it,” she says. “I made a good impression. Her wanted to be a flight attendant. job title would change many But I was too short. Most of the times over the years, but it time at the airport, I had my always reflected that she was head down at my desk. It was someone who could be depend- the non-romantic, non-sexy, ed on. most disinteresting part of the airport.” “I started the new job on Victoria Day in ‘85. The first Danita had intended to con- expansion was underway. We tinue in her job for another two changed from the 1964 version years. But when her husband, of the building to the 85/86 Paul, retired at the end of July, version of the building. Prior a new vision began to emerge. to that, you collected your bag- She’d been at YYJ for 25 years gage outside. People lined up and felt it was time to move in outside to check in for the 747 another direction. But there’s Wardair flights to Hawaii. The no denying that it’s a bitter terminal was chock-a-block sweet parting. “That airport is full. We had no computers. We like my child,” she says. “I’ve recorded everything on ledger watched it grow for so many sheets. Month end reports took years. Now it’s time to let it all night.” go.” The treadmill had gained Danita Ouellette with her husband Paul, and Gilligan. Actually, Danita’s airport career speed. From where Danita started before she came to stood, it was looking more like work in Victoria. It was 1978. a rat race. She lived in Ladner She was living in Sandspit in at one point in the ‘80s, and ries involves airplanes. Ice the Queen Charlottes, married commuted daily from Vancouver cream is part of it too. “We’d to a logger and raising a young to Victoria via Time Air. She go to the South Terminal at family. The clerk at the airport says, “If I missed the last the Vancouver Airport. It was became ill, and they hired her flight home to Vancouver, I just the main terminal there in the to fill in on a temporary basis. stayed and worked all night. ‘60s, and they sold the best The clerk passed away, and she There was always way more to soft ice cream in the world.” replaced him. Then the airport do than would fit in a normal That tradition of going to the manager became ill, and Danita workday.” airport for ice cream and air- started doing his job as well, plane watching created a men- jumping on a treadmill that In those days, Transport Canada tal association that may have wouldn’t stop for 30 years. frequently implemented staffing played a role in Danita’s adult TURN TO PAGE 5 4 VICTORIA AIRPORT AUTHORITY ONON APPROACHAPPROACH W i n t e r 2 0 09 ... changing from ledgers and ily, and they have been amaz- FROM PAGE 4 adding machines to computers ing people to work with. I will ... 25 years implementation truly miss them. I’ve worked at freezes. “People left, and you of technology. It’s been a little airports for 31 years. Once an couldn’t replace them. We’d be crazy.” airport bum, always an airport down to skeleton crews, and it bum.