My phone has been ringing off the hook today with a few folks with some "answers" to our surprise Tony Caterina press release. What raised their antenne was the fact that a lone city councillor issued a press release all on his lonesome, which is definitely out of character.
A couple folks in Calgary who work in this industry hypothesize that the old school folks who funded Air Service for Tomorrow are ramping up the rhetoric again. I have someone digging in the archives to pull out who funded these folks, and the names popping up are rather interesting. The rumors appear to be true. The real VICIOUS rumors are that specific Calgary business interests, specifically Economic Development and the then young Airport Authority, funded Sir Service for Tomorrow through either associates or directly. Now, in Canada, Air Services for Tomorrow is not required to release its benefactors, but what I and others are digging up is rather interesting. PWA/CAI helped with the pro-Muni debate, but that was solely for its own interest as they pretty much owned YXD for generations. It supported the Calgary hub model because it was THEIR model. No conspiracy there, just business.
Then there are some local and Calgary folks that have made an interesting correlation to HSR. The thought is that by forcing the hand on a debate on YXD forever, they can get an answer on HSR. With YXD gone, it removes the excuse some in the Province use to avoid funding HSR - and thereby pissing off Peter Wallis (who holds both positions of CAA head and Van Horne head and a HUGE HSR proponent) and Rod Love. This excuse is, "Well, for 10 billion dollars, we can just re-open the Muni and you have your express to Calgary." A dead YXD is a plus for HSR. While I can see the potential, if that really plays into the hands of Van Horne and the alleged avoidance of YEG by the HSR folks in favour of re-igniting a "one international airport for Alberta" campaign, well, if this city does not get furious, I give up.
Both scenarios have Tony as a stool pigeon. I don't know who started it, whether it was Neil Waugh or someone else, but he certainly walked into it.
There is a third hypothesis floating around, and it all has to do with the sudden out of the blue timing. With the hard work the ERAA is doing, someone may be looking to upset the apple cart. Calgary has always known its amazing numbers were off the backs of Edmonton, and with YEG gaining such rapid momentum, it has no option but to impact Calgary's numbers and its ability to continue to attract new flights. There is a really neat 1992 Herald column from Dan Braid that basically lambasted Edmonton for voting to keep YXD open, saying it made us a second class spoke behind WInnipeg and Regina. I personally know that the CAA did have people dedicated to smearing YEG and the ERAA, and also to attract business away. I met him. Now, that is not so much brutal as harsh business practices, but the CAA is definitely not stupid. They know where they get their incredible numbers from historically, and they want to keep that gravy train. The recent boom has fueled the growth well, but imagine the YYC numbers if 1995 went the other way, and the ERAA closed YEG as they would have had to.
Let's not forget Rick Erickson - the supposed aviation "expert" in Alberta. One major client of his is, you guessed it, the CAA. Strangely enough, he adimately advocates a return to 1992. He too knows what Calgary could be. The prestigue of the only INTERNATIONAL airport in Alberta (the wealthiest province in the nation) would completely solidify his client's position as the #1 business city west of Toronto.
This has been going on for years. Tony is either really poor at timing, or there is something else going on. The whole thing is just weird.
There is another piece sent my way, but that one I need to shut my mouth on.
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