AirCan move ‘fishy,’ Katz says

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This article was published 03/10/2011 (5147 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Mayor Sam Katz will demand answers this morning from Air Canada’s senior management — why on earth do they think downtown Winnipeg is unsafe for their crews?

“There’s something fishy going on,” Katz said Sunday night. “I’ll go right to the top.

“I would very much like to hear from Air Canada what their real reason is for their decision,” said an obviously miffed mayor. “It appears they’re not being forthright.”

Air Canada said Saturday it’s moving its air crews from the downtown Radisson Hotel to a suburban hotel because of safety concerns.

But Katz pointed out the Air Canada Pilots Association has no safety concerns and wants to stay downtown.

Katz also said that police Chief Keith McCaskill is still working on a security assessment around the downtown Air Canada building, which is near the Radisson, but has yet to identify any safety problems.

“From May to September, I use that same hotel for all the visiting teams that play the Winnipeg Goldeyes. That’s 1,250 rooms, never a problem, never a complaint,” Katz said.

Air Canada’s pilots have scoffed at the airline’s plans.

“We don’t agree with Air Canada’s assessment of the entire Winnipeg downtown being unsafe for crews,” said Paul Strachan, president of the Air Canada Pilots Association, who spoke to Katz this weekend.

“We have our (Air Canada) headquarters downtown and people make it there and back home OK,” said Strachan, who grew up in Winnipeg and lived here until six years ago.

Hotel guest Pat Hull of Vancouver said he was surprised by Air Canada’s decision.

“I think it’s pretty bush,” Hull said.

“I’ve been here many, many, many times in the last 15 years and I’ve never had a problem. I certainly don’t have any problems downtown.

“I don’t hesitate to take a walk outside at night.”

The country’s largest airline said Saturday while it has been putting up its pilots and flight crews at the downtown Radisson Hotel during layovers, it would now be using a hotel closer to the airport.

“We are acting out of an abundance of caution after conducting a security assessment with both local law enforcement officials in Winnipeg and our own security people,” Air Canada spokesman Peter Fitzpatrick said in an email statement.

Fitzpatrick didn’t offer details about the assessment but said the move is on an interim basis. It’s unclear when and under what circumstances employees may return downtown and whether a specific incident triggered the review.

Strachan said there haven’t been any safety problems downtown.

“We had a couple of incidents of theft. Some crews had some things lifted when they were waiting for their taxis,” he said.

Strachan said that two to four crews, 10 to 20 people, stay downtown every night throughout the year — a lot of rooms, meals and entertainment.

Airline crews were booked into the Delta on St. Mary Avenue for at least 10 years before management got a better price from the Radisson last year, Strachan said.

He said the collective agreement stipulates that crews with a layover of more than 16 hours will be housed downtown where there is far more variety of restaurants and opportunities for entertainment than at airport-area hotels.

Strachan said that he’s never felt unsafe in downtown Winnipeg.

“I’ve stayed in Sao Paulo (Brazil) dozens of times — that’s a big rough town. We’ve had crews robbed in broad daylight,” he said.

Strachan said he called Katz to assure the mayor that it’s not the pilots or union who want to take all that business out of downtown Winnipeg.

“We’ve got to put pressure on Air Canada,” said Coun. Harvey Smith (Daniel McIntyre), whose ward runs along the north side of Portage Avenue.

“I walk it all the time.

“I really wonder who made the decision for Air Canada — it could be someone back east, for all I know,” Smith added.

Stefano Grande, executive director of the Downtown Winnipeg BIZ, is surprised by the move — especially because he thought Air Canada’s security was happy with the downtown.

 

— with files from Kevin Rollason

nick.martin@freepress.mb.ca