As Winnipeg Airports Authority Inc. (WAA) embarks on its second quarter-century of operation, the organization and the facilities it oversees continue to grow and evolve. But one thing remains constant – the pride WAA employees take in playing such a central role in the lives and livelihoods of Manitobans.

“We’ve been lucky to have an amazingly passionate and dedicated team who really care about what we do here,” says WAA president and CEO Nick Hays. “Fundamentally, it’s about keeping communities connected. When it comes to moving people and goods we are a lifeline, something we’ve been reminded of during the pandemic.”

WAA officially came into existence on January 1, 1997, when Transport Canada transferred the management and operational control of the Winnipeg International Airport to the community-based WAA. Since then, WAA has invested more than $1 billion into upgrades, including the construction of a new terminal that opened in 2011. Prior to that, the airport was renamed Winnipeg James Armstrong Richardson International Airport in honour of the founder of Western Canada Airways.

The enthusiasm and pride of WAA employees is evident from the most veteran staffer to some of the newest hires.

Among the latter is Kylie Talbot, who joined WAA in late 2022 as executive assistant to two WAA vice-presidents.

“The airport is such a huge presence in this city,” says Talbot.

Part of that presence is about simple geography: unusual for an international airport, Winnipeg James Richardson is located just nine kilometres from the downtown core.

“As every Winnipegger knows, there’s something special about driving down Wellington Avenue towards the airport,” says Talbot. “You feel like something exciting is about to happen. Getting to come here every day is just really cool.”

WAA also has a long tradition of community service. A key example: the Harvest Garden, a vegetable garden first planted on airport lands in 1997 to help support Harvest Manitoba and its network of food banks.

Over the years, the Harvest Garden has grown from a few rows to over 4,000 square feet and produced more than 72,000 pounds of vegetables, enough to provide a meal for 100,000 families in need.

Employees pitch in to help seed, weed and harvest the garden, something Talbot got to be part of within weeks of joining WAA.

“It’s so nice to come to work and know it’s not just a job,” she says. “You also have the chance to give back to the community.”

Pride in the job and community service is something Walter Weber, WAA’s most senior original hire, also embodies.

Weber was hired in April 1997 as WAA’s policing and security co-ordinator, a role he fulfills to this day.

He’s seen a lot of change over that time, including the construction of the new terminal, a project he was seconded to for a year.

“Everyone involved really put their heart into it and we came up with a building our community is very proud of,” says Weber.

In terms of community service, Weber served as a long-time captain for WAA’s team in the United Way’s annual ‘Plane Pull’ fundraising event, worked many times at the Harvest Garden and happily volunteered for an extra shift to help greet Winnipeg’s first flight of Ukrainian war refugees in 2022.

As WAA continues to grow, including the ongoing construction of a new cargo logistics facility, the organization’s CEO knows that finding the right employees will remain a critical priority.

“We’ll keep hiring people who share our passion,” says Hays. “It’s been a huge strength for us for a quarter-century and will be in the years ahead.”