Saskatoon and Regina Air Service

[LittleBoy]

Originally Posted by curo

Some more terrible news for YQR. First it was U.S. airlines now this. Despite the chatter from local politicians I don't see them changing the Feds minds which have zero love for this province.

Scott Moe this you?

[one_brick_at_a_time]

Originally Posted by djforsberg

lol that’s what I was thinking. The victim complex of some people here is pathetic. We are a province with 3% of Canada’s population. Of course we are insignificant. We could have had representation in the federal government but Regina-Wascana chose to go for numb-nuts Kram instead (I worked with him - he really is a goober). The people in this province sure love to cut their noses off to spite their face.

I also agree losing Ralph Goodale has screwed Regina completely.

[Draftsman]

Originally Posted by one_brick_at_a_time

I also agree losing Ralph Goodale has screwed Regina completely.

Ralph was a champion, not just for Regina, but also Saskatoon and the rest of Saskatchewan.

As for Kram, I have a worse name for him other than 'goober' as mentioned by djforsberg. I have written to Kram twice, only to receive a message that his staff will respond. Nope! Not once, but twice. So who the hell is he representing? I am pissed off that people didn't re-elect Ralph. Who cares that he is Liberal? He did a lot for this province, and surely the airport would not have been in this situation had he still been in power. He was an elite politician within the Liberal Party (and no, I'm not a Liberal, but I know he was a damn fine career politician who was worthy of representing us federally. Where the hell is Scheer? I think he represents Regina, but it doesn't seem like he has done shit.

[one_brick_at_a_time]

Originally Posted by Draftsman

Ralph was a champion, not just for Regina, but also Saskatoon and the rest of Saskatchewan.

As for Kram, I have a worse name for him other than 'goober' as mentioned by djforsberg. I have written to Kram twice, only to receive a message that his staff will respond. Nope! Not once, but twice. So who the hell is he representing? I am pissed off that people didn't re-elect Ralph. Who cares that he is Liberal? He did a lot for this province, and surely the airport would not have been in this situation had he still been in power. He was an elite politician within the Liberal Party (and no, I'm not a Liberal, but I know he was a damn fine career politician who was worthy of representing us federally. Where the hell is Scheer? I think he represents Regina, but it doesn't seem like he has done shit.

Agreed.

[one_brick_at_a_time]

Air Canada suggests loss of service if Regina air traffic control tower is closed

https://www.620ckrm.com/2021/02/05/a...wer-is-closed/

[prairieguy]

Yikes!
In some ways, I see this as a consequence of Saskatchewan having two small to mid size cities competing for services and resources. Likely, a scenario as to how Manitoba has one Major city is far more beneficial and feasible for a province with similar population size.

However....hindsight is 2020 and I don't think air service to Regina can be abandoned!!

[one_brick_at_a_time]

Originally Posted by prairieguy

Yikes!
In some ways, I see this as a consequence of Saskatchewan having two small to mid size cities competing for services and resources. Likely, a scenario as to how Manitoba has one Major city is far more beneficial and feasible for a province with similar population size.

However....hindsight is 2020 and I don't think air service to Regina can be abandoned!!

It would be an absolute embarrassment and failure of municipal, provincial and federal governments for the capital city of Saskatchewan to lose Air Canada service. It’s already embarrassing enough that the notion is even being considered.

[Draftsman]

Originally Posted by one_brick_at_a_time

It would be an absolute embarrassment and failure of municipal, provincial and federal governments for the capital city of Saskatchewan to lose Air Canada service. It’s already embarrassing enough that the notion is even being considered.

No kidding! This is horrible news, but maybe Air Canada is saying this to get conversation going about losing the control tower. Regina has always been a very good market for AC, considering its population. We have lot of large events that bring in a lot of people over and above the base numbers (Agribition, Grey Cups, conventions, etc.).

We need to know who to contact to express our displeasure, considering that there is no Liberal representation in Saskatchewan. The Transport Minister, Trudeau, the Fairy Godmother?

Maybe someone could start a petition (if that would do any good).

[UPP]

Originally Posted by djforsberg

lol that’s what I was thinking. The victim complex of some people here is pathetic. We are a province with 3% of Canada’s population. Of course we are insignificant. We could have had representation in the federal government but Regina-Wascana chose to go for numb-nuts Kram instead (I worked with him - he really is a goober). The people in this province sure love to cut their noses off to spite their face.

Voting out Ralph Goodale is a reason why Regina may lose air service? That's a bit of a stretch no? Saskatoon hasn't voted Liberal in a generation and it hasn't impacted their airport. Calgary is a Liberal wasteland and yet YYC doesn't seem too impacted.

Goodale, despite not being an MP, is still close to Trudeau. One would think he'd have more of an impact lobbying for Regina now that he doesn't have to worry about political gamesmanship.

[TechnicalRecession]

Originally Posted by prairieguy

Yikes!
In some ways, I see this as a consequence of Saskatchewan having two small to mid size cities competing for services and resources. Likely, a scenario as to how Manitoba has one Major city is far more beneficial and feasible for a province with similar population size.

However....hindsight is 2020 and I don't think air service to Regina can be abandoned!!

I'm not sure I agree with your assessment. Both Regina and Saskatoon are large enough to support the airports they have and they serve different parts of Saskatchewan. The reason for this has nothing to do with two small cities competing, but rather a pandemic that has decimated the industry and a fed government looking to find ways to save money while the debt sky rockets up.

I just hope that Moe does more than just shoot off at the mouth like he always does, and actually get this resolved so that the control tower is not shut down. Unfortunately he doesn't have a sympathetic ear in Ottawa because he blames everything on Trudeau, rightly or wrongly.

[roryn1]

K so... 3 hrs south dramatically dwindling (since last few oil crashes as Bakken oil drillers are moving to cheaper newly found crude in texas) population Minot has Allegiant (Vegas, Phoenix) and Delta (Minneapolis), and Regina is struggling to keep airlines even pre pandemic. It sounds like a regulation issue...

[PhotoJim]

Originally Posted by roryn1

K so... 3 hrs south dramatically dwindling (since last few oil crashes as Bakken oil drillers are moving to cheaper newly found crude in texas) population Minot has Allegiant (Vegas, Phoenix) and Delta (Minneapolis), and Regina is struggling to keep airlines even pre pandemic. It sounds like a regulation issue...

4 hours. Williston has an airport 3 hours away though.

The US, however, famously subsidizes its small airports. Canada does not.

[UPP]

Originally Posted by djforsberg

I never said that voting out Goodale is why Regina may lose service. All I am saying is losing Goodale for Kram does more harm for us than good. Especially for those of us who realize the Cons have little chance of forming a majority any time soon thanks to their continuing concentration on the prairies (and they couldn't even defeat a scandal-ridden Trudeau in 2019).

Also, it would make absolutely no sense to think Goodale has more power now than he would as not only an MP, but as the highest-ranking member of cabinet, as he was prior to the last election. And your comment about Calgary... seriously? They are the western hub for WestJet in a city of 1.3M plus. They clearly don't need any political help. That was a silly analogy.

Then why post about Kram vs Goodale in a thread about a loss of air service in Regina?

Hey, I have absolutely nothing against Ralph, in fact, I probably voted for him before you were born. And yes, considering he was appointed by the Liberal government to head the commission into the Ukraine Airline crash leads me to believe that he still holds a lot of weight with the current government.

But please, carry on with your lib vs con schtick in the YQR/YXE Air service thread

[FarmerHaight]

Originally Posted by djforsberg

people in Sask continually voting against their own best interests schtick.

Are you suggesting Saskatchewan voters supported the Conservatives expecting them to lose? If 19 seats had gone a different way, all those people suddenly would have had a voice in the government. Besides, if a Regina representative has legitimate reasons for the Liberal government to intervene in this situation, that person should be listened to despite their political alignment.

I think you're conflating your opinion with what is in Saskatchewanians' best interests. Even if those two things are the same, it's still subjective.

[Festivus]

Originally Posted by FarmerHaight

Are you suggesting Saskatchewan voters supported the Conservatives expecting them to lose? If 19 seats had gone a different way, all those people suddenly would have had a voice in the government. Besides, if a Regina representative has legitimate reasons for the Liberal government to intervene in this situation, that person should be listened to despite their political alignment.

I think you're conflating your opinion with what is in Saskatchewanians' best interests. Even if those two things are the same, it's still subjective.

I think the main thing to take away from of all of this is that it's not wise for any region to elect 100% of their MPs from a single party. If you elect all opposition members then you don't have any voice in government (worst-case, like we have now). If you elect all government members, then you risk being taken for granted if it happens for too long. The best place to be is in a competitive region where it goes back and forth so that the governments listen to you.

[one_brick_at_a_time]

I am hoping that during this down time, and the fact that Porter has saved more money by not flying currently, will allow for possible western expansion when things open back up flying wise. Would love a Western HUB airport that their Q400 can fly to from Toronto and then use A220 service from that hub to western Canada (Regina and Saskatoon included). I know previously they were looking at Thunder Bay. If the connection wasn’t too long and same or better price, I wouldn’t mind it not being non-stop from Toronto.

[PhotoJim]

Originally Posted by one_brick_at_a_time

I am hoping that during this down time, and the fact that Porter has saved more money by not flying currently, will allow for possible western expansion when things open back up flying wise. Would love a Western HUB airport that their Q400 can fly to from Toronto and then use A220 service from that hub to western Canada (Regina and Saskatoon included). I know previously they were looking at Thunder Bay. If the connection wasn’t too long and same or better price, I wouldn’t mind it not being direct from Toronto.

Note: "direct" means same-plane service in the airline industry, but not necessarily non-stop. Toronto-Thunder Bay-Regina on one plane counts as direct.

[one_brick_at_a_time]

Originally Posted by PhotoJim

Note: "direct" means same-plane service in the airline industry, but not necessarily non-stop. Toronto-Thunder Bay-Regina on one plane counts as direct.

Thanks for the note.

[The Bess]

At least we get some good news once in awhile

https://www.ckom.com/2021/02/11/flai...arting-in-may/

[Draftsman]

MP Michael Kram is sponsoring a petition to save YQR - Regina International Airport.

Please go to www.saveyqr.ca to add your name to the petition, if you wish.