Congratulations Bearskin on your 50th Anniversary!

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We are pleased to congratulate Bearskin Airlines on its 50th anniversary.
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Welcome Aboard Bearskin Airlines!
By Harvey Friesen, President and Cliff Friesen, Executive Vice President
On July 17th, 2013 Bearskin Airlines will celebrate its 50th Anniversary. As we sit back
and reflect on the years that have gone by, we can feel very proud about achieving this major
milestone in a very challenging industry – in fact, we would need all of our fingers and toes
to count the airlines that have come and gone in the time that Bearskin has operated.
To remain relevant to our customers, we have re-invented ourselves
a number of times and been very open to the constant change required
to grow and prosper in the markets we have served.
In the early years, we transitioned from single engine float aircraft
to twin engine wheeled aircraft and expanded rapidly as the provincial
government embarked on their “highways in the sky” program, building
gravel airstrips in many remote northern communities. We’ve operated as
many as 14 different aircraft types compared to a single type today. Each
equipment choice was strategic in nature as we evolved over the years.
(l-r) Harvey
and Cliff
Friesen.
Our first reservation system, our participation in the Aeroplan Frequent Flyer Program
and our first internet booking engine were all important to our success, as was our move to
Interline E-ticketing, Automated Revenue Management and other automated systems to help
us be as efficient as we could be.
The sale of our most Northern Operations (22 of 38 communities served) to
Wasaya Airways in mid 2003 was also a significant time of change for us as we rationalized
our equipment, staffing and markets served.
On January 1st, 2011, Exchange Income Corporation (TSX: EIF) completed its acquisition
of Bearskin Airlines as first announced on September 15, 2010. EIC is a Canadian corporation
who, in addition to Bearskin Airlines, also owns Perimeter Aviation, Keewatin Air, Calm Air,
Customer Helicopters and Regional One, along with specialty manufacturing companies in
Canada and the United States. EIC’s strategy has been to maintain Bearskin's management and
staff, allowing us the opportunity to manage Bearskin to best meet the needs of our customers.
We like to attribute much of our success to the dedication and hard work by our
312 employees today and the hundreds who have passed through our company as they
have progressed in their careers. We've seen many of them buy their first car, their
first house, marry, have a family and later become grandparents. Others are working
for airlines around the world. It is very gratifying to see them do well in their lives.
We have established a long tradition of providing safe, convenient, comfortable and
reliable air service throughout the cities we’ve served. Providing that service to our friends,
neighbours and all of our customers has been rewarding. We have enjoyed significant
support from the communities that we have served and for that we are grateful.
On behalf of everyone at Bearskin Airlines, we would like to extend our heartfelt
gratitude for the support that has been demonstrated for our service since 1963.
4 Bear Country In-Flight Magazine
CONGRATS
ON 50 YEARS
OF SERVICE
C ongra tul ati ons B earski n A i rl i nes
on y ou r 50 t h A nni versar y
w w w.lower ys. com
Publisher/managing Editor Cliff Friesen
Congratulations
on 50 Years of
First Class Service!
Editor Patti Gresham
Writers Elle Andra-Warner
Photography Credits Frank Baratta
Sudbury, Ontario
Design + Production Good Design
Advertising Sales Terry Crewson and Bearskin Airlines Staff
Toll Free Reservations 1.877.560.0111
Lithography Premier Printing
Publications Mail Agreement No. 40013935 Return Undeliverable Canadian Addresses to:
1475 West Walsh Street Thunder Bay, Ont. P7E 4X6 Phone (807) 474-2636 Fax (807) 474-2658 bearskinairlines.com
Bear Country is published by Bearskin Lake Air Services Ltd.
ISBN D702544
Bear Country In-Flight Magazine 5
It is a grand milestone this summer! Bearskin Airlines is celebrating 50 years of continuous
service. And for most of those years, the Friesen brothers have led the company from a grassroots
bush plane air service to one of Canada’s most successful commuter regional carriers.
Shrewd business sense has been
essential to Bearskin’s growth, as
has the airlines ability to adapt to
change and meet the needs of the
marketplace. “I think we helped
the company grow by taking careful
steps. When there are opportunities
and need for service, we take a
close look at it and try to make the
right decisions so that when we do
move forward, we do it successfully”
explained Harvey Friesen, President
of Bearskin Airlines.
He added, “Customer service
has played a big part in Bearskin’s
growth. We have always tried to set
up schedules that are convenient
to the traveller and can meet
connecting flights to all communities.
6 Bear Country In-Flight Magazine
This timely service is particularly
important for business travellers
so they can do a day’s work and
come back home for the night.”
The key to their success?
Without hesitation, Harvey said it
was “the dedication and hard work
by all of our employees.”
Harvey’s brother Cliff is Bearskin’s
Executive Vice-President and also
credits the company’s employees for
the corporate culture of reliability
and commitment to customers.
“None of it would have been
possible without their hard work
and dedication” said Cliff. “Our
employees have always been
forward-looking people. Whenever
there was a growth opportunity,
everyone was ready for it.”
Bearskin Airlines’ roots run deep in
northern Ontario. It was 50 years ago,
on July 17, 1963, that the airline began
as Bearskin Lake Air Service with
two Cessna 180s flying passengers
and cargo from a base at Big Trout
Lake, 45 miles east of Bearskin Lake
(270 miles northeast of Sioux Lookout,
400 miles northwest of Thunder Bay).
It was founded by bush pilot Otto
John Hegland, a Norwegian immigrant
who named the airline after
Bearskin Lake where he operated a
general store. In 1965, his brother-inlaw Henri Boulanger and Bert Cone
took over the company.
Bottom: Hegland’s brother-in-law,
Henri Boulanger, and Joe Deneve
repairing a C180 at Red Lake.
Top: Unloading goods from Cessna 180.
Then, in 1972, Harvey Friesen –
a young and ambitious pilot who had
joined Bearskin in 1970 – bought a
50 percent share in the company.
Five years later (1977), Harvey became
the majority owner and President.
The following year, Cliff joined the
company as Executive Vice-President.
The two Friesen brothers co-owned
Bearskin along with Karl Friesen
(unrelated), Vice-President
of Operations (he joined Bearskin in
1973 as a pilot and minor shareholder);
Rick Baratta, Vice-President
of Finance (since retired); and,
Brad Martin, Director of Operations.
In 1977,
Harvey
Friesen
became the
majority
owner and
President
of Bearskin
Airlines.
Between 1963 and 1977, Bearskin
focused on providing charter service
to the many remote First Nation
communities in northern Ontario. In
1977, Bearskin’s first scheduled service
began flying passengers between
Big Trout Lake and Sioux Lookout.
A year later (1978), a base
of operation was moved to Sioux
Lookout where the company built
a new hangar, maintenance and
office facility. In 1979 a second
scheduled route was launched, this
time between Sioux Lookout and
Thunder Bay and in 1980 a new base
was established in Thunder Bay
following the purchase of On Air
1979 Ltd. Cliff Friesen subsequently
moved to Thunder Bay to oversee
that base and in 1981 a third
scheduled service was added, linking
Sioux Lookout, Kenora and Winnipeg.
Until the late 1970s, most
of Bearskin’s aircraft were bush
planes, float-equipped in summer and
ski-equipped in winter. Providing
service to remote communities was
nearly impossible during winter
freeze-up and spring break-up. To
overcome the problem of communities being cut off during
seasonal transition, the Ontario
government began an extensive
airfield construction program in many
of the remote communities. Quick to
recognize opportunity, Bearskin began
offering scheduled air service with
wheeled aircraft to those communities.
In the mid 70’s, NorOntair
(Ontario Northland Transportation
Commission) started to subcontract
flying operations to various airlines.
Two of their Twin Otters ­­— painted
in full NorOntair colours — were
based in Thunder Bay and operated
by On Air Ltd until purchased by
Bearskin Airlines in 1980. Bearskin
operated the NorOntair contract
flying 3 Twin Otters until 1996.
In 1991, Bearskin bought two new
Fairchild Metroliner aircraft and a
year later, using the Metroliner, the
company launched non-stop service
between Thunder Bay and Sudbury
(Northern Ontario’s two largest cities).
Bear Country In-Flight Magazine 7
Congratulations
Bearskin Airlines
50th Anniversary
Best wishes for
continued success!
Bill
Mauro MPP
THUNDER BAY-ATIKOKAN
Thunder Bay Constituency Office
240 Syndicate Ave. S. • 623-9237
www.billmauro.onmpp.ca
Top: Sioux Lookout’s home base in 1977 consisted of a small camper trailer and
storage shed. Bottom: Bearskin office and shop at Big Trout Lake, built in the 1980’s.
It was the start of Bearskin Airlines’
move eastward, making tracks
throughout northeastern Ontario
and eventually into Ottawa following
the withdrawal of Canadian Partner
from the Northern tier.
8 Bear Country In-Flight Magazine
later (1999), Bearskin expanded into
northern Manitoba, establishing routes
between Winnipeg and the northern
communities of Flin Flon and The Pas.
An exciting different kind
of venture for Bearskin took place in
December 1994 — the launch of its
in-flight magazine, Bear Country.
Nineteen years later, the quarterly
publication continues to deliver highquality articles featuring the people,
places and events in the destinations
that Bearskin Airlines serves.
In 2003 after 40 years of service,
the airline made a dramatic
change in its operations: their
northern routes and assets were
sold to Wasaya Group Inc., owners
of Wasaya Airlines (one of the
world’s largest Aboriginal-owned
airlines). A traditional signing
ceremony formalized the deal
on July 9, 2003 at Bearskin Lake
First Nation.
Growth opportunities continued to
come to Bearskin. In 1996, after the
Ontario government terminated its
northern air service, Bearskin filled
the void by launching scheduled
service between Fort Frances,
Thunder Bay, Sault Ste Marie, Sudbury
and Timmins. And just three years
Did the sale give the company an
opportunity to service new markets?
According to Cliff, with the exception
of Kitchener-Waterloo, Bearskin was
already serving the markets they are
in today. The sale did, however, give
them the resources to look at other
growth opportunities.
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for 50 Years of Service.
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Top: In the late 1960’s much of the
maintenance was performed
outdoors on the ice. Pictured is a
Cessna 180 undergoing inspection
at Big Trout Lake. Bottom: Fuel
tanks at Big Trout Lake base.
1-807-473-9123 or 1-888-473-2378
A new maintenance facility
was opened in Winnipeg in
2007 and one more Fairchild
Metroliner was acquired in each
of 2006, 2007 and 2009.
On October 1, 2007, Bearskin
Airlines opened a new service in
southern Ontario with three flights
daily between Ottawa and the
Kitchener-Waterloo area, home
to over 500,000 people in the
three communities of Kitchener,
Waterloo and Cambridge. Today,
Kitchener-Waterloo has grown
to feature up to five flights daily
during peak travel season.
Congratulations Bearskin on your 50th Anniversary!
On January 1, 2011, Exchange
Income Corporation (TSX: EIF)
completed its acquisition of Bear Country In-Flight Magazine 9
Left: Bearskin Airlines' inaugural flight of scheduled Metro service into Kenora in
1992. (l-r) the late Councillor Chuck Tyrell, the late Mayor Kelvin Winkler, President
of Bearskin Airlines Harvey Friesen, MPP Frank Miclash, the late Councillor
Walter Kostantin and Cliff Friesen, Executive-Vice President of Bearskin Airlines.
Right: The inaugural flight of service to the Region of Waterloo on October 1, 2007.
Front row (l-r): Jeff Schelling, Manager Airport Development – Region of Waterloo
International Airport; Brad Martin, Director of Operations – Bearskin Airlines;
Ron Hell, Director Marketing and Sales – Bearskin Airlines; Ken Seiling, Regional
Chair – Region of Waterloo; Jane Brewer, Member of Regional Council – Region
of Waterloo; Cliff Friesen, Executive VP – Bearskin Airlines. Back row (top to
bottom): Karl Friesen, Vice President Operations – Bearskin Airlines; Tom Galloway,
Member of Regional Council – Region of Waterloo; William (Bill) Strauss, Mayor
of Woolwich Township and Member of Regional Council – Region of Waterloo.
10 Bear Country In-Flight Magazine
Bearskin Airlines as first announced
on September 15, 2010. EIC is
a Canadian corporation who, in
addition to Bearskin Airlines,
also owns Perimeter Aviation,
Keewatin Air Calm Air and Custom
Helicopters, along with specialty
manufacturing companies in
Canada and the United States.
A new Kitchener-Waterloo
crew base was opened in 2012 and
new Waterloo maintenance facility
in January 2013. Two additional
Metroliners were also acquired in
2012 in order to expand charter
operations. One of these aircraft
is now based in Waterloo to serve
the southern Ontario charter
marketplace. Weekly HamiltonKapuskasing scheduled service also
started in the summer of 2012 in
order to meet the needs of a major
hydro contractor in Kapuskasing.
Today, Bearskin Airlines employs
more than 310 people in Ontario
and Manitoba, operating 16 Fairchild
Metroliners to 18 destinations, and
offers more than 100 daily flights.
What’s in the future for Bearskin?
The summer of 2013 will bring a
change in Bearskin’s pricing strategy
as the company evolves once again
to remain relevant in the market.
Recognizing that its customers fall
into distinct groups with very different
needs, Bearskin is introducing three
new fare types this summer, each
with different characteristics.
Liberty Fares are a premium
product targeting the unique needs
of business travellers. Flex Fares
are a preferred choice among
anyone who needs flexibility with
low change and cancellation fees
and Fixed Fares are designed for
those individuals who only want the
lowest fare. When purchasing a ticket
online after July 9, 2013, you will be
able to easily mouse over the fare
display to see the characteristics
associated with each fare type. When
travelling on business, Bearskin
offers the fastest, most efficient way
to travel between the cities we serve.
Starting July 9th, our enhanced
fare options will give you another
reason to choose Bearskin Airlines.
From beginning operations 50 years
ago in 1963, Bearskin Airlines has
evolved from a small bush plane air
service into a major inter-provincial
carrier. Along the way, it became an
icon of northern aviation.
Thunder Bay’s
Full Service Hotel
· The Areas Largest Convention Centre
· Newly Renovated Rooms and Executive Suites
· Timbers Restaurant & Runway 25 Steaklounge
· Fitness Centre, Athletic Club & Spa
Congratulations to Bearskin Airlines
for 50 Years of Service.
1 Valhalla Inn Rd. Thunder Bay 1-800-964-1121
Bear Country In-Flight Magazine 11
By Elle Andra-Warner
12 Bear Country In-Flight Magazine
Looking back moments are captivating trips back in time.
Ask Harvey Friesen, Cliff Friesen, Karl Friesen, Rick Baratta and
Brad Martin for their highlights and you’ll get an eclectic mix of
interesting reminiscences. What was their most memorable flight?
High points in Bearskin’s history? Important steps in getting things
going? Behind the scenes stories? Changing dynamics and major
events? We asked those questions and got some great stories!
they wanted to medevac her out to
Sioux Lookout. The nurse said the
woman was extremely ill, and might
not make it if we couldn’t get her to a
hospital. Normal procedures were that
a nurse would accompany the patient.
The patient would be on a stretcher
on the floor with the nurse sitting
in the back seat. We had to remove
the front passenger seat in order to
accomplish this.
Harvey Friesen
Originally from Warman,
Saskatchewan, and now residing
in Sioux Lookout, it was 41 years
ago (1972) when Harvey Friesen
became an owner of Bearskin
Airlines after being hired in 1970
as its bush pilot stationed at Big
Trout Lake and two years later
buying shares in the company.
A ‘looking back’ moment that
stands out for me was back in the
early fall of 1972 on a flight from Big
Trout Lake to Sioux Lookout. A flight
of about two-and-a-half hours.
There was no air ambulance at
the time and no hospital at Big Trout
Lake. We did not have an airstrip or
a telephone system. If they needed to
transport a patient to Sioux Lookout, a
nurse would contact us and depending
on the season, we would go either with
a ski plane or float plane to fly the sick
person to the hospital in Sioux Lookout.
It was late afternoon when I received
a call from the nurse in Big Trout Lake,
saying they had a woman experiencing
difficulties in her pregnancy and
Left: Bearskin Airlines’ owners,
July 2003 (l-r) Back: Harvey Friesen,
President; Karl Friesen, Vice President
of Operations. Front: Rick Baratta,
Vice President of Finance; Cliff Friesen,
Executive Vice President and
Brad Martin, Director of Operations.
Right: A young Harvey Friesen
in his ‘bush flying’ days.
When we boarded her on the
Cessna 180 single engine ski plane,
it was already getting dark as we
expected it would be. We could fly
in the dark, although we were not
equipped or licensed to do so. It
wasn’t normally a problem as we
did not fly at night frequently.
I landed on the lake and stopped
close to shore hoping the ice would
be thick enough. After landing I
walked to the shore, collected dry
wood, built a fire. It was about minus
15 to 20 so we left the patient in the
plane wrapped in a heavy sleeping
bag. I melted snow to drink and built
the fire big enough to stay warm.
In the morning once it was light,
we flew out to Sioux Lookout.
The woman survived the ordeal and
both she and the baby were fine. It
happened over 30 years ago, but it is
still one of my most memorable flights.
On route, it started snowing about
150 miles from Sioux Lookout. In those
days, we had no navigation aid, no
radio. True bush flying. It was now
dark and snowing, but could still fly
visual and navigate with maps. But
the snow became so severe, I did not
have any forward visibility… I could
only see down. The trees were black
and the lakes were white, we had
to look for a landing area quickly.
We were about 10 miles south
of Sioux Lookout, and found a place to
land on the long arm of the lake. The
ice conditions were marginal — we
had not yet started flying on the ice
at Sioux Lookout though we had
at Big Trout Lake. I was concerned
the ice may not be thick enough.
Cliff Friesen
Cliff Friesen, Harvey’s brother
and also from Warman, became
an owner of Bearskin 35 years ago
(1978) when he purchased interest
in the airline, became its Executive
Vice-President, and later moved to
Thunder Bay where he established
the airline’s second base of operation.
If we hadn’t started infrastructure
31 years ago back in 1982 when we
put in our first reservation system,
Bearskin Airlines would not be here
today. No manual-system based
airline is in existence today. At the
time, we were a small airline and
Air Canada allowed us to go on their
reservation system. You have to look
at infrastructure and technology is the
biggest part of the infrastructure.
Back in 1993, Bearskin had a big
growth spurt when one of our two
main competitors, Canadian Regional
Bear Country In-Flight Magazine 13
Congratulations
BEARSKIN AIRLINES
on your 50th
Anniversary!
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14 Bear Country In-Flight Magazine
Airlines went out of business. Harvey
and I were skiing in Salt Lake City
when Canadian Regional Airlines
suddenly announced they were
terminating flights in Northwestern
Ontario. We called Ron Hell right away
and told him to make an announcement
immediately that Bearskin Airlines will
fly the routes Canadian had abandoned.
We made the announcement one
day before our other competitor
NorOntair had planned to announce
the same thing. If we hadn’t made a
quick decision, they would have been
first to make the announcement. We
acted on our decision, and NorOntair
never put out any announcement.
Reflecting back, one of the high
points for me was in 1996 when we
stopped NorOntair, a subsidiary of the
Ontario Northland Transportation
Commission, a provincial Crown
agency of the Government of Ontario.
We were already competing with
NorOntair on the Thunder BaySudbury route when they decided
to add scheduled service between
Thunder Bay-Kenora-Winnipeg,
where we were already flying. Hard
to compete against the $5 million
subsidy they were getting from
Ontario government. Our Member
of Provincial Parliament and
leader of the Ontario Liberal Party,
Lyn McLeod, went to bat for us.
The government pulled the subsidy,
NorOntair closed down in March 1996,
and we took over most of their routes.
For a number of years, both
Canadian Regional Airlines and
NorOntair employees constantly
told our employees, ‘’We’re going
to run Bearskin Airlines out
of business.” Today, they are gone
and Bearskin Airlines is still here.
If you manage a company
efficiently and effectively, the
money will take care of itself.
­— Cliff Friesen, June 20, 2013
Some of our employees have been
with us for many years. We’ve seen
them buy their first car, their first house,
marry, have a family and later become
grandparents. Others have gone and
now fly around the world for other
major airlines. It is very gratifying to
see them do well in their lives.
Karl Friesen
After leaving his hometown in
Calgary, Karl hired on with Bearskin
Airlines in May 1973 after promising
to “stay at least six months.” That was
40 years ago. He lived in Big Trout
Lake for four and a half years flying
float planes and used to haul fish in
the Norseman. He was married to
Barbara Morris, a native girl, in 1974,
in a log church with Harvey Friesen
as his best man.
Karl recalled how he became the VP
of the company. One day Harvey told
him that the lawyers said they needed a
vice president. “Do you want to be the
vice president?” he asked. “I guess so”, I
replied and we went back to working on
the planes. Back then everyone flew and
fixed whatever needed to be done. Titles
were not important. We were three guys,
with three planes, living in shacks. It
was tough times” said Karl.
When Bearskin got their first twin
Aztec there wasn’t much work for it so
Executive Vice President Cliff Friesen
stands with a NorOntair C-175
subcontracted to Bearskin in 1988.
Karl started an unofficial scheduled
flight to Sioux Lookout. He would
drive around Big Trout Lake on his
motorcycle or skidoo and ask people
if they wanted to go. When he got
his passengers to Sioux Lookout he
frequently took them downtown in
his old 1958 Ford car. One day the
seats were out for repair so everyone
including Karl sat on boxes in the car.
Once we got enough people, we
started a scheduled flight once a day
between Big Trout Lake and Sioux
Lookout. Getting that first schedule
was an important step. It would have
happened eventually, but going after
passengers made it happen quicker.
After the first scheduled line, we got
more runways, more schedules and
the bush planes that used to be “king”
got pushed back. That’s the history
of how scheduled lines started with
Bearskin Airlines.
CONGRATULATIONS BEARSKIN AIRLINES
ON 50 SUCCCESSFUL YEARS
Newly Refreshed Airlane
New beds, bedding & carpet in all guestrooms
New drapery and artwork
New flat screen televisions and fridges
New corridor and lobby carpeting
New lobby furniture, artwork and television
www.airlanehotel.com
“A Guest when you enter …
A Friend when you leave”
698 W Arthur St, Thunder Bay ON
1-800-465-5003
The Sioux Lookout Chamber of Commerce
AND
Travel Information Centre
Check out our website or ‘Like’ us on Facebook!
Sioux Lookout Chamber of Commerce
The Sioux Lookout Chamber of Commerce
invites you to visit the most vibrant and
fastest growing community in Northwestern Ontario. We are working hard to
make the Sioux Lookout region a wonderful place to live, grow and do business.
From a diverse art and culture scene to
some of the best fishing and hunting
around, Sioux Lookout has something for
everyone! The helpful staff at the Travel
Information Centre will be happy to
provide any assistance planning your trip
or during your stay, whether you need
help finding area businesses, services,
natural attractions or community events.
Box 577, Sioux Lookout, ON, P8T 1A8
Tel: (807) 737-1937
Fax: (807) 737-1778
Email: chamber@siouxlookout.com
Web: www.siouxlookout.com
In 1977 Karl moved to Sioux Lookout
and ran the scheduled service from
there. In 1979 a hanger was built.
“It was so nice to work on the planes
inside” he commented.
Shortly after regular scheduled
service started from Sioux Lookout to
Thunder Bay and then the Thunder Bay
base started.
Bearskin got the Beech 99 turbo
props in 1981 and developed additional
scheduled service all over Northwestern
Ontario and also flew a lot of medevacs.
In 1992 Bearskin got the Metros and
expanded east.
Bear Country In-Flight Magazine 15
Even when times were tough
in those days, customer service
ranked high with the owners. Karl
always believed in putting passenger
comfort and convenience first.
“You gotta make the passengers want
to come back,” he stated.
Rick Baratta
A graduate of Lakehead University
(1976) and a chartered accountant
since 1979, Rick Baratta joined
Bearskin Airlines in 1985 as the
company’s Financial Controller,
became its Vice-President of Finance
and CFO a year later, and after
27 years of service with Bearskin,
retired in December 2012.
We had been flying Beech 99s
and Beech King Air 100s and were
considering adding a couple of used
planes to our fleet. A representative
from Fairchild came up from Texas
on New Year’s Eve in 1991 to try
and sell us two used Beech 1900Cs
they had for sale. While negotiating,
he started telling us about their
19-passenger Metroliner planes, how
they were fast, fuel efficient and
a good replacement for the small
airplanes we flew. We hadn’t heard
much about the Metroliners before
the Fairchild guy told us about them.
Well, instead of two used planes,
we ended up buying two brand new
Metroliners. We gave him a deposit,
but at the end of the day, he forgot
to take the deposit and left it on the
desk when he flew back to Texas.
We used the two new Metroliners
for the first time on September
14, 1992, on the inaugural flight
16 Bear Country In-Flight Magazine
between Northern Ontario’s two largest
cities – Thunder Bay and Sudbury.
The Metroliners fit the bill for
what we needed. Today, Bearskin
has 16 Metroliners and are the only
planes it flies on its routes. With a
standardized fleet of Metroliners,
there are cost savings in things like
training, maintenance and inventory.
Buying those two first Metroliners on
New Year’s Eve changed the dynamics
of Bearskin Airlines.
Brad Martin
Brad Martin, a graduate
of Confederation College’s Aviation
Flight Management (1977), has over
35 years of aviation experience with
Bearskin beginning as a pilot in 1978
and moving up the ladder to his current
position of Vice-President of Operations.
Looking back at major events since
joining Bearskin, like the introduction
of the reservation system, introduction
of turbine equipment and the expansion
A de Havilland Otter docks in the ice at
the Sioux Lookout Base in the 1970’s.
of airline where we had a number
of growth spurts, one such growth
spurt was particularly unique.
It was in the late 1980s when
Air Ontario acquired Austin Airways,
which had been our major competitor
for the past 10 years. Out of the
blue, Austin was departing
Northwestern Ontario and asked
if we could take over their route
structure if they vacated.
We would have 30 days to get it all
done – 30 days to source equipment;
find people from mechanics to pilots;
hire and train them; find, fund, secure
and do maintenance on equipment to
operate in all those communities – plus
maintain all of our own air services.
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We had a highly charged team
of employees, producing outstanding
results. We put it all together. At the
end of the 30 days, we closed the
deal and within six months, had
doubled the size of Bearskin Airlines.
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Then, when Air Canada, the owner
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on the remote gravel airstrips, they
contracted out to us and we became
their feeder network, and joined their
Aeroplan frequent flyer program.
When future historians write about
Canadian aviation, thanks to the
original owners, Bearskin Airlines
has already earned a prominent spot
as one of the most successful and
longest-running Canadian airlines.
And hey, after 50 years, Bearskin isn’t
finished yet – it is still making history!
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Bear Country In-Flight Magazine 17
By Elle Andra-Warner
One of Bearskin Airlines’ first planes,
a de Havilland Otter, was in service
from 1963 to the late 1980’s.
18 Bear Country In-Flight Magazine
It was July 17, 1963, at Big Trout
Lake, Ontario, when Norwegian-born
bush pilot Otto John Heglund
launched Bearskin Lake Air Service,
naming the company after the First
Nations community located 270 miles
northeast of Sioux Lookout, Ontario.
Heglund began operations with a fleet
of two Cessna 180s to which he soon
added a de Havilland DHC-2 Beaver.
The idea to start Bearskin Airlines
however began much earlier, when
he was flying a two-seat Tiger Moth
biplane delivering food and supplies
from his general store at Bearskin
Lake to camps out on the trap line.
Cessna 180
de Havilland DHC-2 Beaver on skiis
Harvey Friesen (now President
and CEO) joined Bearskin in the
winter of 1970 and flew Cessna 180s
on skis, flying nurses on day-trips
to other communities. Harvey
recalls, “While the nurses tended to
the community, I’d be flying ‘side
trips’ for local trappers, hunters
and people just wanting to visit
relatives in another community.”
Those were the days of rugged
bush flying for Bearskin and Harvey
had his share of being stranded
due to weather. During one severe
snowstorm, he and his mechanic
stayed with a trapper in a tent for
two days. ”We’d sit back, tell stories,
and listen to the wind howl outside.
Another time a storm forced me
to spend a night in a First Nations
family’s fish camp in the far north.”
Business was good and the
company expanded, continually
adding aircraft to their fleet, including
a Cessna 185; Beech 18 on wheels;
Noordyn Norseman; Piper Navajo,
Navajo Chieftain and Aztec for charter
work; and a de Havilland Otter.
Beech 18 added in 1974
Piper Aztec used for charters in 1975
Bear Country In-Flight Magazine 19
Navajo Chieftain flying over Big Trout Lake
In the late 1970s, when airstrips
were completed in the remote
communities, Bearskin began its
evolution from a bush plane service
to a commuter airline, changing
its fleet to small two-engine
aircraft that flew faster and more
economically than bush planes.
Twin engine unpressurized Beech 99
Single engine Pilatus 12
Twin engine King Air 100
Piper Navajo
Fairchild Metroliner
By the mid-1980s, all northern
communities had airstrips and
Bearskin Airlines fleet had moved
out of float and ski planes. Now
they were flying twin-engine
15-passenger turboprop Beech 99s
and twin-engine 8-10 passenger
turboprop Beech King Air 100s.
In 1991, Bearskin added two
Fairchild Metroliners to their
fleet. Seven years later, in the fall
of 1998, fleet expansion continued
when Bearskin purchased the first
of six Swiss-made Pilatus PC-12
single-engine turbine aircraft. By
2003, two of the Pilatus were
sold to another airline and the
others sold over the years.
Today, Bearskin Airlines operates
one aircraft type, the Fairchild
Metroliner. Created by the legendary
aircraft designer from Texas, Ed
Swearingen, the Metroliner was
developed specifically to serve the
regional airline market. Equipped
with twin turbine engines, these
19-passenger, pressurized aircraft
offer exceptional speed and range.
Now proudly celebrating its
50th anniversary, Bearskin currently
operates 16 Metroliners, with more
than 100 departures daily to 18
destinations in Ontario and Manitoba.
20 Bear Country In-Flight Magazine
At Bearskin Airlines we take
pride in our role as a community
supporter. For the past fifty years
we have become a solid partner in
supporting community events and
development projects, building
the economy, creating jobs and
establishing important transportation
links with communities in the north.
We remain committed to investing
in the communities we serve and the
people who live there. Why? Because
we are here for the long haul.
We don’t believe that a lack
of financial means should limit
someone from receiving the
healthcare they require. Since 1988,
Bearskin Airlines has been an active
Above: (l-r) Sue Childs, Susan Childs,
Liz Manahan, Erin Manahan, Judy
Gerry, Cliff Friesen, Dave Knudson,
Mary Wheatley and Barb Whitney.
supporter of Hope Air. Hope Air is
a national registered charity founded
in 1986 and dedicated to arranging
free air transportation for Canadians,
who are in financial need and
require non-emergency medical care
outside of their home community. In
recognition of Bearskin’s long standing
support, Hope Air presented its first
ever Outstanding Philanthropist
Award to Bearskin Airlines in 2010.
This award recognized the exceptional
contribution Bearskin Airlines has
made to the Hope Air mission since
1988 and to this day, Bearskin Airlines
continues to be one of Hope Air’s
most significant contributors.
In 1999, Bearskin Airlines hosted
the first Annual Bearskin Airlines
Charity Golf Classics in four of its
communities served raising over
$60,000 for local charities. Since
then, $1,388,000 has been raised
for various local charities through
2012 and in 2013 we expect to raise
another $90,000 in our 15th Annual
Charity Golf Classic series. The help
of many local and regional companies
as well as hundreds of golfers who
take part each year complements
our role as the principal organizer.
Through a tradition of participation
and a culture of giving, the employees
of Bearskin Airlines have been
supporting the United Way
Thunder Bay Campaign for many
years, encouraging employee payroll
deductions and by organizing events
and activities to bring employees
together and raise the moral of the
Company. Bearskin Airlines is proud
of its employees who worked hard to
attain the Diamond Level Corporate
Leaders Recognition in 2012 and expect
a similar level of commitment in 2013.
The Bearskin Airlines Hope Classic
is a curling bonspiel for women, raising
money to fight Breast Cancer. Bearskin
Airlines has been the title sponsor
Bear Country In-Flight Magazine 21
of this event since its inception in 1997.
Although the organizing committee
lost its founder and chair, Linda
Buchan, on December 11, 2002, a
core group of volunteers has carried
on Linda’s dream. The 2013 total
of $155,000 brings to $2,403,000
and counting raised in the North
and Stays in the North to fight this
terrible disease. Linda never wanted
the Bearskin Airlines Hope Classic
to be about her. She wanted it to be
about “making a difference to the lives
of women in Northwestern Ontario.”
We are extremely proud to support
this event in a major way since 1997.
In 2011, following the long time
success of The Bearskin Airlines Hope
Classic, we agreed to become the title
sponsor for Bearskin Airlines Skip
to Equip Classic in Sioux Lookout.
In this new annual curling event,
women from across Northwestern
Ontario get together to curl and have
a great time while raising money for
a worthy cause. $58,000 was raised
by the curlers and sponsors in 2012
and the Sioux Lookout Meno Ya
Win Health Centre Foundation was
the major benefactor as well as the
Sioux Lookout Golf and Curling Club.
Curling and fundraising is important
to northerners and Bearskin Airlines
is proud to be part of these two
major curling fundraisers as well as
the Official Airline of (NOCA) the
Northern Ontario Curling Association,
promoting the sport of curling
throughout the communities we serve.
Our Regional Sponsorship of the
Canadian Cancer Society Relay for
Life in 2013 covered 12 Northwestern
22 Bear Country In-Flight Magazine
(l-r) Helen Trochimchuk, Charter Sales and Harvey Friesen, President of Bearskin
Airlines; Skip to Equip Committee – Kelli Baker, Marlene MacDonald, DeAnna Lance,
Vera Kameda-LaCroix, Laurel Hakala, Janine Lavoie, Jeanet Pierce, Muriel Anderson
– Chair, and Kathryn Davidson. Missing: Kristyn Kulchyski and Jacki Duhamel.
Ontario communities including 6 that
we serve daily. Cancer affects many
of our family members, employees,
and valued customers. We were
pleased to be able to support this event
for the 6th consecutive year in 2013.
As Northern Ontario’s leading
business airline, we are proud to
be a Major Corporate Sponsor
of Northern Ontario’s leading
business events including the
Nishnawbe-Aski Development Fund
Business Awards, the Northern
Ontario Business Awards and
Influential Women of Northern
Ontario Awards, all recognizing the
accomplishments of the business
customers we serve each day.
Our longtime support of the
Northern Ontario Business Awards
(since 1993) and Influential
Women of Northern Ontario
Awards (since 2003) is indicative
of our understanding that the
success of our customers leads
to success for all northerners.
Bearskin Airlines’ 2013 sponsorship
of the Nishnawbe-Aski Development
Fund Business Awards will
represent our 23rd consecutive year.
Our support from the inception
of these awards is related to our
commitment to supporting the
development of Aboriginal business
throughout Northern Ontario and
the cities we serve. We understand
that our business has grown and
prospered with the support of our
customers, and our First Nations
customers have been among our
most loyal supporters since 1963.
We take pride in the fact
that our company was born
in the North and continues
to serve the north, providing
air service to many smaller
cities that are important
to our business customers
who choose to live and work
in Northern Ontario and
Northern Manitoba.
Our involvement in the communities
we serve is much deeper than recorded
on these pages. From help in the
formation of the Northern Ontario
Medical School — sponsorship of a float
in the Kitchener-Waterloo Oktoberfest
Thanksgiving Day Parade to the
Flin Flon Bombers, and numerous youth
hockey players and golf tournaments
and Camp Quality among others.
The longtime support of our
customers provides us the
opportunity to give back to the
communities and individuals we
serve. Thank you to all our customers
for your continued support!
Top: Leona Haskins announces
the winner of the “Penny War,”
just one of the many fundraisers
held throughout the year by
Bearskin employees in support
of the United Way.
Bottom left: Employees
ride the Big Bike for Heart
and Stroke Foundation.
Bottom right: Stan Kapashesit
(left) of Wakenagun Community
Futures Development Corporation
receives the NADF 2012
Executive of the Year award
presented by Harvey Friesen,
President of Bearskin Airlines.
Bear Country In-Flight Magazine 23
24 Bear Country In-Flight Magazine
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Bear Country In-Flight Magazine 25
36 YEARS
33 YEARS
Randy Sulkers
Director of
Maintenance
Bill Uren
Sioux Lookout
Maintenance Manager
Of the 50 years that ‘The Bear’
has been in existence, I have had the
privilege to serve 37 of them and
continue to do so.
When I started in 1976, there
were the owners Harvey and Anna
Friesen, and five pilots — Karl
Friesen, Dave Riddel, Dave Baxter,
Jim Creighton, and Dan Dugard.
In maintenance there was Owner,
pilot, and Chief Engineer Henri
Boulanger, apprentice Lawrence
Childsforever and myself. Dock
hands were Joe Chapman and
any of the above including Harv
and Anna who were not doing
something at the time when needed.
It was a team effort that got things
done then as it is now. That has not
changed over the years and I truly
believe it was that same team effort,
drive and determination that made
this company into what it is today.
I recall all of us sitting in Harv
and Anna`s living room one winter
night in Big Trout Lake after dinner,
discussing what direction the
company should take next. Harv was
looking to his team for their input
on what type of aircraft to buy next
or sell. Should we consider wheeled
twin engine aircraft as more and
more reserves were getting gravel
strips or stay with floats and skiis.
At that time the company consisted
of one twin engine Aztec, one
single engine Otter, a Norsemen
and two Cessna 180’s and a 185.
26 Bear Country In-Flight Magazine
There have been a lot of changes
in all areas, but the most obvious
one is the size of the company.
When I first hired on we had a
fleet of all different kinds of aircraft
ranging from Cessna 180s thru to
DC3 aircraft. At that time we were
a wheel, float, ski operation and as a
maintenance person you could be in a
mosquito infested swamp or freezing
to death in the middle of some
frozen desolate lake fixing an aircraft.
Today, we have a full fleet of Metro
aircraft that fly airport to airport and
a lot more staff involved to keep the
operation running. A bush trip now
has a whole different meaning.
Presently I see us in transition as
the older employees are preparing
for retirement and the younger are
stepping up to take the Company
to new heights. My hope for BLAS
in the future is that everyone
remembers that as individuals we
are good, but as a team we are
awesome and can do great things.
25 YEARS
Jason Friesen
Chief Pilot
Since starting at Bearskin in 1988,
I have seen many changes to the
company. Our primary area of service
has evolved from remote Northern
Ontario communities to the large
towns and small growing cities that
extend from Northwestern Manitoba
to Southeastern Ontario and even
Southwestern Ontario.
Our fleet of aircraft has changed
from a mix of 4 to 14 seat aircraft
(Piper Navajo, Aztec, T1040;
Cessna 180, 185, 337; Beech A100,
99) to faster 19 seat pressurized
Fairchild Metro aircraft.
As with all small airlines, we have
seen our share of employee turnover
but we also have a core of long term
employees that help provide a solid
base that compliments the energy and
enthusiasm that we see from the new
employees. Many former Bearskin
pilots are now captains and first
officers at airlines such as Westjet,
Air Canada, and Jazz.
Overall, the changes that I have
witnessed have resulted in a safer,
more efficient airline and a very
rewarding place to work.
24 YEARS
Rob Marsh
Metro Captain
I started with Bearskin in December
1989. My first revenue flight as a newly
certified Beech 99 First Officer was
a return trip from Thunder Bay to
Minneapolis. After an hour break I
was back in the air for a Thunder Bay
to Fort Hope return trip. In a matter
of hours I went from the fast pace
of a major international airport to the
on-your-own flying at an uncontrolled
snow-covered gravel runway. This
summed up the diverse type of flying
that Bearskin did each day.
14 YEARS
Over the years Bearskin has gone
through many transformations. We’ve
gone from Navajos, Beech 99’s and
Beech King Airs flying into Northern
Ontario gravel strips, to Fairchild
Metroliners flying city to city from
Winnipeg to Ottawa with many
destinations in between and beyond.
We went from the earth tone paint
with the Bearskin swoop, to the
current bear paw logo paint scheme.
Over the years while many airlines
have tried rebranding with many
different name changes, Bearskin
Airlines has remained consistent
with its identity. We’ve taken on
the nickname “The Bear,” added our
inflight magazine Bear Country and
updated our jingle to “Let the Bear
Take You There,” with the familiar
song of the loon. After 50 years we
remain Bearskin Airlines.
Since I began at Bearskin I’ve
seen many employees come and
go and I’ve always noticed the
pride and dedication of everyone
at The Bear. To this day I share that
dedication and I’m proud to be part
of the Bearskin family.”
17 YEARS
Gary Primrose
Director of IT
I have been working for Bearskin
Airlines for about 17 ½ years now
and have seen many changes over
the years. Aside of the numerous
employees coming and going, I have
also seen many changes in technology
and aircraft.
I was involved in all of the
technology changes, including the
implementation of our own Wide
Area Network along with numerous
software technologies such as our
Reservation System, email, internet,
the Y2K scare and many more.
Bearskin also used to fly several
different aircraft and has now
migrated to one. A while back
Bearskin used to fly to several remote
communities but decided to reduce
the amount of destinations.
The biggest change I have seen
is the sale (change of ownership)
of Bearskin Airlines from a
private company of five owners to
becoming a sister company in a large
organization. I hope to be around
for a long time yet.
18 YEARS
Karen Berringer
Marketing Assistant
My name is Karen Berringer and
I am the Marketing Assistant here
at Bearskin Airlines. I have been
with The Bear for 18 years and have
enjoyed growing and evolving right
along with the company. I began
with Bearskin as a Reservation
Call Center Agent, and soon was
splitting my time between there
and the Ticket/Check-in counter
here in Thunder Bay.
I have experienced many changes
that Bearskin Airlines has gone
through, including the use of several
different Computer Reservation
systems. I was very involved in the
early days of the implementation
of our current system, Sabre
Airline Solutions, including being
a Trainer to many of our Counter
and Reservations agents.
In my current role I have many
duties including updating our
flight schedule in the Reservation
System. Whether it be a minor
time change or larger holiday
changes, I enjoy the challenges
this career brings daily.
Linda Lesnick
Lead Passenger Service
Agent – Red Lake
I have been with Bearskin Airlines
since August 23, 1999 and there have
been many changes since that time.
When I first started we were
still servicing the Northern routes.
During that time we had Beach 99’s,
King Air and Metro Aircraft. Then
we added on the Pilatus aircraft.
When the Northern routes were no
longer serviced by Bearskin we saw
a fleet change to only the Metros.
The airline industry then was still
using paper tickets and we watched
the transformation to Electronic
tickets and travel banks come into
service. Baggage was never an issue
connecting to all destinations at the
beginning and then 9/11 happened
and the industry changed with the
security measures tightening up, we
could no longer check the baggage
past the first secure station.
I saw the change from being a
privately owned company to EIC
happen and have always been proud
to be a Bearskin employee.
10 YEARS
Bev Schiefele
Lead Passenger Service
Agent – Flin Flon, MB
I am pleased to be part of the
Bearskin organization for about ten
years of its 50 years in existence.
One very visible and attractive
thing that I have experienced was the
implementation of the “bear paws”
on the aircrafts and of course on our
uniforms. It is a very unique design
and brings the attention to the airline.
Another feature that was brought
forward was the ability to leave
home on the morning flight, do
your business or shopping, and
still be back home for dinner.
Bear Country In-Flight Magazine 27
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What hasn’t changed and what I
enjoy most is our customers. We have
a loyal group who enjoy our services
and we appreciate their business. New
customers are continuously coming on
stream and it is our pleasure to always
say “let the Bear take you there.”
On behalf of the Flin Flon
counter, I would like to send our
congratulations for reaching this
wonderful milestone and we are all
happy to have been a small part of it.
12 YEARS
Vicki LaBelle
Supervisor –
Sudbury Base
Bearskin Airlines has had such
an exciting 50 years so far — we
are growing by leaps and bounds!
Though we have grown from our
humble beginnings, we have kept our
heart. Starting in Northern Ontario
with service to small communities,
with even smaller planes we have
since expanded across all of Ontario
and into Manitoba. With our new
service points came additional
aircrafts of increasing size. More
importantly we were able to grow
our Bear family. Our employees keep
the heart of Bearskin alive with each
additional new station and hire.
As a company we have also seen
the growth of our airports. Numerous
renovations and improvements in the
Winnipeg, Thunder Bay, Sudbury and
Ottawa airports have received not
only critical acclaim internationally
but also from our passengers;
only adding to the Bearskin travel
experience. In 50 years we have seen
many great changes in the airline
industry, the cities we service and
within our company. The greatest gift
of the last 50 years is the longevity
to see both company and community
families grow with us. We cannot
wait to see where we go in the next
fifty! Bearskin Airlines — Impressive
growth with small town heart.
28 Bear Country In-Flight Magazine
Bearskin Airlines’ employees are a close-knit team of dedicated workers. Much of our success is attributed to their hard work and we thank you. Today, Bearskin employs
just over 300 people in the 18 destinations that we serve in Ontario and Manitoba.
Flin Flon, manitoba
The Pas, manitoba
Passenger Service Agents (l-r) back: Heather Hammond
and Bev Schiefele; front: Melanie Dominey and Debbie Giesbrecht.
Passenger Service Agent
Dana Kozlowski.
Winnipeg, manitoba
Passenger Service Agents (l-r) back: Patty Vadivelu,
Tatiana Pagano, Diane Lenon, Marose Merino and
Richard Weide; front: Thalia Johnstone, Maria Paul,
Julie Dayholos and Gail Hipe. Missing: Kammer Kinnarath.
Maintenance (l-r): Darren Blanchette, Kevin Haney,
Stephen Catellier and Scott Fowler. Missing: Chris Blackham
and Calvin Boutillier.
Bear Country In-Flight Magazine 29
Kenora, ONtario
Passenger Service Agents (l-r): Mary-Anne Rensch,
Kayla Worsnop and Jillian Manley. Missing: Irene Parish.
Fort Frances, ONtario
Passenger Service Agents (l-r): Nicole Duffy, Megan
Soderholm, Jennifer Kivimaki and Monique Bekesi.
Red Lake, ONtario
Passenger Service Agents (l-r): Barb Crosby, Sherry
Watson, Melinda Daigle, Linda Lesnick, Phyllis Halteman
and Shirley Brooks. Missing: Lyndsey Desjardins.
Sioux Lookout, ontario
(l-r) back: Rose Turetski, Katie Sissons, Colleen Haskins,
Doug Hogg, Bill Uren, Randy Sulkers, Don Siemens and
Gerald Rogers; front: Anna Friesen, Harvey Friesen
(President), Melissa Verboom, Alex Friesen and Mike O'Brien.
Maintenance (l-r): Lisa Kolehmainen, Conway Brown, Chris
Haskins, Edgar Turallo, Brendon Korhonen, Shawn Caul and
Justin Emberley. Missing: Stan Marshall and James Doggett.
Passenger Service Agents (1-r): Corine Shumka, Sharon
Nichol, Cindy Davies, Marci Driver and Maurice Shyntak
(Ground Handler). Missing: Kim Suprovich, Ronnie
Ramasamy and Ethan Hodgson.
30 Bear Country In-Flight Magazine
Thunder Bay, ontario
Administration (l-r): Grant Miller,
Karen Hovi, Kyle Baratta, Donna Marsh,
Antonio Fabiano, Brian Dzijak, Mike
Danylko, Gary Primrose, Melanie Carlson,
Daniela Saez-Hamilton, Désirée Zambon,
Theresa Whent, Judy Hooker, Terri Busch,
Florina Nisioiu, Leona Haskins, Zhu Bao Co
and Cliff Friesen (Executive Vice President).
Marketing (l-r): Terry Crewson, Helen
Trochimchuk, Ron Hell (Director of Marketing),
Leeann Organ, Diana Shewchuk, Karen
Berringer and Patti Gresham.
Dispatch (l-r): Maureen Massaro,
Marlene Racic (Supervisor), Travis Bishop,
Gaye Manson, Mathieu Lalancette, Holly
Broadhead and Hellen Girard ( front).
Passenger Service Agents (l-r) top: Marta Kiraga, Jennifer
Tran and Gina Duhaime; front: Lacey Stirrup, Terri Gauthier,
Erin Wheeler, Angie Edwards, Anna Maria Santorelli and
Rosa Carina. Missing: Emilia Honke, Mallory Livingston,
Richelle Midak, Jessica Morris and Christine Swanton.
Quality Assurance and Tech Records (l-r):
Karin Kruppa, Lee Waddington and Barb Walker.
Training and Safety Management Systems (l-r):
Maria Pedulla, Richard Gareau and Sherry Youmans.
Bear Country In-Flight Magazine 31
parts
The Bearskin Parts Team is responsible for the control and
distribution of the parts at all four maintenance bases and all
points throughout the Bearskin network of stations.
(l-r) Jason Hamer, Alex Bell, Bonnie Kangas, Timo Korpi and
James Dampier. Missing: Jade Mauro, Timo Korpi Jr. and Adam Wright.
Ground Handlers and Groomers (l-r): Steve Domineck, David
Brouwer, Adam Isaacson and Brian Alguire. Missing: BJ Bloye,
Stephan Cerqueira, David Crocker, Austin McKinnon and Ian Novak.
Perimeter Aviation is a diversified company with a fleet
offering a wide variety of charter options and 24/7
medevac transport to anywhere in Canada and the
US. As well, Perimeter offers scheduled service to 22
communities in Manitoba and northwestern Ontario.
Come fly with us.
With a fleet offering a first class executive aircraft, a
comfortable 45 passenger full-service aircraft, and
an efficient cargo-only aircraft – with many options in
between, chartering has never been easier.
Toll free: 1-800-665-8986
Phone: (204) 480-4023
E-mail: charters@perimeter.ca
w w w. p e r i m e t e r. c a
1
32 Charters-GeneralAd.indd
Bear Country In-Flight Magazine
2013-01-25 11:20 AM
maintenance
In Thunder Bay, our main
maintenance hub, we have 34
maintenance professionals that keep the
Bearskin’s 16 Fairchild Metro Aircraft
in the air safely and economically.
Maintaining aircraft is an expensive
business so we try to do as much as we
can in-house with the overhaul and
repair of the components of our aircraft.
In Thunder Bay the Component Shop
takes care of the wheels, brakes, and
batteries; the Sheet Metal Shop does
sheet metal components with flight
controls and structural repairs to the
aircraft when needed and our Engine
Shop overhauls and repairs our engines.
(l-r): Brian Trottier, Chris Broman, Sean Ladouceur, Kalyn Killins,
Jacob French, Jamie Campagnolo and Richard Plunkett.
(l-r) back: Dennis Trush, Kurt Dziver, Chris Currie, Dan Jameus, Matt
Fowler and John Heath; front: Arnie Procyshen, Lorie Plumpton, Brian
Trottier, Anthony Kukula, Ken Badiuk, Burke Kilgour and John Karasiewicz.
Also in Thunder Bay, all the
maintenance planning is coordinated
from here to our four maintenance bases.
Our maintenance planner tracks the
scheduled maintenance coming due and
works with our dispatch department to
ensure the aircraft get to a maintenance
base to have the maintenance completed
on time. At our Region of Waterloo base
we have eight maintenance professionals,
completing day to day maintenance that
is required on the aircraft. Our AMO
(Approved Maintenance Organization)
is approved by Transport Canada to
perform maintenance and overhaul for
our Aircraft, components of the aircraft,
Avionics, structures, welding and NDT.
It takes a talented and hardworking
maintenance department to contribute
to keeping an airline like the ‘Bear’ in the
air for the past 50 years and in the future.
— Dan Jameus,
Maintenance Manager
(l-r): Anthony Piscioneri,
Dennis Meo, Danny Allen, Gord
Pattrosson and Jeff Salmela.
Engine Shop (l-r): Mike
Ferra, Geoff Grayson, Karin
Kruppa, Kyle Friesen, Pino
Migliazza and Jason Shewchuk.
Bear Country In-Flight Magazine 33
Sault Ste. Marie, ONtario
Passenger Service Agents and
Pilots (l-r): Kyle Baxter, Carl Eliason,
Denise Bertie, Amanda Lesage,
Meaghan MacDonald, Rob Payne
and Ian Minthorn.
Sudbury, ONtario
Passenger Service Agents (l-r):
Stacey Will-Harapiak, Sarah Plante,
Chloë Mirfield, Ilka Ethier (Eastern
Region Manager), Vicki Labelle, Andrée
Bédard, Jessica Robichaud, Savannah
Jones. Missing: Jeannie Boulard, Mary
Cucksey and Marcey Miron-Barbe.
Timmins, ONtario
Passenger Service Agents (l-r):
Tasha Bustraen, Nadia Govorova and
Tammy Levesque.
Kapuskasing, ONtario
Passenger Service Agents (l-r):
Amy Salonen, Nicole Bourgeois and
Christena Tremblay.
North Bay, ONtario
Passenger Service Agents (l-r):
Danielle Amyotte, Jennifer McCarthy
and Jessica Johnston.
34 Bear Country In-Flight Magazine
Ottawa, ONtario
Hamilton, ONtario
Passenger Service Agents (l-r): Adela
Patenaude, Lisa Ross, Heidi Pinsent, Rosemarie
Adriano Estioko, Tobie Wong and Sophie
Dumouchel. Missing: Jason Morris, Guido Garay,
Amelia Herrera, David Poirier and Yagu Coker.
(l-r) back: Dylan Wood, Danny Papachristos, Jacob Miller (Senior
Lead), Reg Somogy, Katherine Espinoza (Customer Service Manager),
Wayne Dalton (Station Manager), Kathy Simpson and Dan Jackson
(Supervisor); front: Ashley Little, Spencer Mogridge, Ryan Cummins,
Dan Kentish, Robbie Elmer, Tim Merklinger and James Carlino.
Region of Waterloo, ONtario
(Contract: ASIG)
(Contract: Fliteline Services)
(l-r): Captain Oman Norquay, Bryant Galbraith (Line Crew), Andrew
Chipperfield (Passenger Service Agent), Asiea Khan (Passenger Service Agent),
Melissa Ehrlich (Passenger Service Agent) and Richard Schadlinger (Line Crew).
Maintenance (l-r): Nathan From,
Tim Anthony and Ryan McRory.
DRYDEN, ONtario
(Contract: David Wessel)
(l-r) David Wessel, Sonia
Pike and Derek Kennedy.
Missing: Pat McMenemy
and Doug McMillan.
Bear Country In-Flight Magazine 35
Flight Operations / Administration
Flight Operations (Flight Ops) is responsible to
ensure that the regulatory requirements of the flight
crew are being met, from liaisons with all regulatory
authorities to qualification of the flight crew.
Flight Ops ensures that crew scheduling complies
with all regulations, an example being flight and duty
times, and keeps all crew informed of any changes
to the Canadian Aviation Regulations and Standards.
Our Chief Pilot is responsible for the adherence
to the regulations as well as professional standards
of the flight crews including training, development
of Standard Operating Procedures and supervision
of flight crew. The department has support staff who
provide a high degree of clerical support for Flight
Ops by maintaining several databases of operational
pilots employed by the company, as well as
coordinating the requirements and needs of these
databases with Dispatch and Company trainers.
(l-r) Steve Mauro (Director of Operations), Jason Friesen
(Chief Pilot), Lisa Nash (Base Manager Thunder Bay), Anne
Sirkkunen (Flight Ops Clerk), Margie Boyechko (Assistant
to VP Operations), James Reszitnyk (Flight Co-ordinator /
Charters) and Brad Martin (Vice President of Operations).
Winnipeg base flight crew
(l-r)
Captain Shaun Ingoldsby
Captain Jason Walkey
First Officer Dan Batikoff
First Officer David Lewis
First Officer Krill Lofichenko
First Officer Kevin Nixon
Missing: Captain Mark Buchkowski, Captain Doug Foubister,
Captain Zuzana Kolarova, Captain Laird Penney, Captain John Struthers,
Captain Peter Traczuk, First Officer Keith Hoffman, First Officer Tim Krynen
and First Officer Ani Sawant.
Sioux Lookout base flight crew
Captain Karl Friesen, Vice President
of Flight Operations
First Officer Johan Friesen
Missing: Captain Roy Seamark and
First Officer Rinat Saffulin.
36 Bear Country In-Flight Magazine
Thunder Bay base flight crew
Chief Pilot Jason Friesen
Captain Kyle Baxter
Captain Ed Bergman
Captain Gary Coughlin
Captain Carl Eliason
Captain Lee Erickson
Captain Keith Haering
Captain Glen Irwin
Captain Derek Jones
Captain Robert Marsh
Capt. Steve Mauro, Director of Operations
Captain Robert Maxwell
Captain Dan Murray
Captain Nikki O’Connor
Captain Dan Parnham
Captain David Rohtenburger
Captain Jan Szczygielski
First Officer Brandon Adamache
First Officer Glenn Barrett
First Officer Emlyn Currer
First Officer Jeff Davy
First Officer Jason Dixon
First Officer Ian Minthorn
First Officer David Page
First Officer Rob Payne
First Officer James Pearce
First Officer Kevin Sant
First Officer Grant Thorner
Missing: Captain Steve Appleton, Captain Ryan Eastick, Captain Sean Faid, Captain Patrick Haering, Captain Derek
Morton, Captain Peter Polkki, Captain Maurice Roux, Captain Luke Sokol, First Officer Amy Abbick, First Officer
Mathieu Bazinet, First Officer David Houghton, First Officer Chris Kinkade, First Officer Krisztian Kismrczi, First
Officer Cowie Shannon, First Officer Kim Steingass, First Officer Michael Walker and First Officer Darren Zacharias.
region of waterloo base flight crew
Captain Shane Jackson
Captain Oman Norquay
Captain John Swain
Captain Jason Ward
First Officer Adrian Bossers
First Officer Evan Braatz
First Officer Nathan Churchill
First Officer Cory Raby
Missing: Captain Rob Buie, Captain Michael Mook Sang, First Officer Kevin Berrey and First Officer Troy Chute.
Bear Country In-Flight Magazine 37
Top 50 Reasons to Fly the “Bear ”
17
Convenient online bookings.
16
User friendly web site.
since we fly at lower altitudes.
15
Each year, we fly a group of
lucky children to the “North Pole”
to meet Santa and Mrs. Claus.
Avoid the hassle of Lester B.
Pearson Airport in Toronto
by flying direct with us!
14
Occasional celebrity sightings
on board!
13
You could be flying with a
real bear in the cargo hold!
We provide animal rescue
services for orphaned or
injured wildlife and have flown
many a bear in our days.
29 We are Northern Ontario’s
12
Several fares are lower than a bus
fare without the long tedious ride.
28 Our high-frequency service is
11
Great seat sale fares offered
several times a year.
10
Up close and personal
with flight crew.
9
Reliable, modern fleet of aircraft.
8
Bragging rights! So you have
visited the pyramids… but have
you flown “The Bear?”
7
Efficient system-wide
cargo service.
6
Excellent care in handling
your bags.
5
Safe and very reliable service.
4
Convenient connections with
other airlines at Winnipeg,
Ottawa and Thunder Bay.
3
We’re on the Toronto Stock
Exchange. If you own shares in
Exchange Income Corporation
(TSX:EIF), you’re a shareholder!
2
“The Bear” can take you from the
Nickel Capital of the World to
our National Capital faster than
any other airline! Just 90 minutes
on regular scheduled flights
(Sudbury-Ottawa).
1
When you fly the “ Bear,”
you always get an aisle
and a window seat!
Thunder Bay, Sault Ste Marie,
Sudbury, Timmins and North Bay.
50 You can help us celebrate
our 50th Anniversary!
49 Were a unique airline serving a
32 A great way to “see the sights”
48 Our continued sponsorship
31
unique part of Canada.
of the Bearskin Airlines
Hope Classic Curling Bonspiel
has raised 2.4 million (so far!)
for Northern Cancer research.
30 We can take you to numerous
local festivals and events like
the Sioux Lookout Blueberry
Festival, The Norseman Festival
in Red Lake, Harbourfest in
Kenora and Lumberjack Days
in Kapuskasing.
47 We have cool “Bear Wear” you
can purchase to show off your
Northern Ontario pride.
46 After 50 years we’re still growing!
45 Our schedule is designed to
get you away and back home
in the same day.
44 Our Passenger Service Agents
hometown airline.
geared to serving the business
community better!
are always smiling.
43 We have some of the newest
Metro’s flying today!
42 Every two months, our Bearmail
members have a chance to win a
free trip! Have you signed up?
41
We have cool paw prints
on our aircraft.
40 Join the club! We have millions
of satisfied passengers since 1963.
27 A chance to read Bear Country,
our in-flight magazine focused
on people, places and events
in the communities we serve.
26 We have a great team of employees.
25 Earn Aeroplan miles on every
flight. Redeem them with us, too!
24 Multi-lingual agents in several
stations, including French, Italian,
Finnish and Vietnamese.
39 We’re grateful for your support.
38 We offer Branded Fares, each
with different characteristics
to meet the needs of business
and leisure passengers.
37 We’re proud to be an equal
23 Friendly, personal service at
check in — frequent flyers are on a
first name basis with most agents!
22 We have a close working
relationship with the travel agents
in the communities we serve.
opportunity employer.
36 Lots of leg room.
21
35 We shop locally — and
support local businesses in
the communities we serve —
whenever possible.
34 One way fares (in most markets)
do not require a Saturday night
stay to get the lowest fare!
33 More service to Northern
Ontario’s five largest cities
than any other airline! That is:
38 Bear Country In-Flight Magazine
Largest hangar in Northwestern
Ontario, providing first class
maintenance facilities.
20 You can golf with “The Bear”
in our annual Bearskin Airlines
Charity Golf Classics.
19
We support the communities
we serve.
18
Be the first to learn about
seat sales when you sign up
to receive Bearmail.
Bearskin Airlines is
grateful to those airports
and services that support
our growth, development
and continued service in
Ontario and Manitoba. Our
success and longevity is
built on a solid foundation
of support from these
outstanding partners in
aviation. We look forward
to our future together!
Thank you.
LYNN LAKE AIRPORT (CYYL)
FLIN FLON AIRPORT (CYFO)
From mineral exploration,
fishing, hunting or business,
Lynn Lake Airport is your portal to
True Northern Adventure. Owned
and operated by the Town of Lynn
Lake, the airport has a 5,000 by 150
foot paved runway with both airside
and groundside commercial land
available for development. Bearskin
offers more than 40 flights seasonally
between Winnipeg and Lynn Lake
including Saturday service from
May to September. Contact us by
phone (204) 356-2900 or email
lynnlakeairport@lynnlake.ca, or visit
us at www.lynnlake.ca.
Located 20 kilometers southeast
of the city of Flin Flon, the airport
is operational 24 hours a day, 7 days
a week. Capable of supporting
both, day and night VFR and IFR
operations. The Flin Flon Airport
serves both private and commercial
operations along with a tanker
base for the Ministry of Natural
Resources Water Bombers. The
Airport terminal building provides
space for airline, car rental, gift
shop, airport operations and general
public use. Contact us by phone
(204) 687-7447, fax (204) 687-6673,
or email ffmap@mts.net.
Bear Country In-Flight Magazine 39
THE PAS AIRPORT (CYQD)
The Pas Airport proudly serves
the The Pas and Area as one of the
gateways to your northern Manitoba
experience. The 1,118 acre airport is
located on Clearwater Lake one of the
three “true blue” lakes in the world
with close access to many hunting
and fishing lodges. Also, the airport
offers daily scheduled passenger
to Winnipeg, features a 5,900 foot
runway, 24 hour a day Jet A and
AVGAS availability and we are always
looking for interested parties in
developing our many commercial and
lake front lots. Contact us by phone
(204) 624-5233, fax (204) 624-5678,
email airportp@xplornet.com, or
visit www.thepasarea.com.
40 Bear Country In-Flight Magazine
Credit: Gerry Kopelow
Winnipeg Richardson
International Airport (CYWG)
Located at the heart of the
continent, Winnipeg Richardson
International Airport is your
gateway to exciting destinations.
With an ever-expanding selection
of restaurants and shops to
choose from, including local and
international favourites, make sure
to explore our community’s airport
on your next trip. Visit www.waa.ca.
CONGRATULATIONS ON 50 YEARS!
Sioux Lookout Airport (CYXL)
Located approximately 400 km
northwest of Thunder Bay and 450 km
east of Winnipeg, the airport serves
a catchment area of 30,00 people as
an important regional transportation
hub to the surrounding region and
29 remote northern communities
in addition to providing access to
the community from larger urban
centres. Owned and operated by
the Municipality of Sioux Lookout,
the airport has a 5,300 by 100 foot
paved runway with both airside
and groundside serviced lots
available for development. Contact
us by phone (807) 737-2829 or visit
www.siouxlookoutairport.ca.
From the Management and Staff at the
Red Lake Municipal Airport
The City of Dryden
and the Dryden
Regional Airport
Dryden
Regional
congratulate
Airport & Airlines
Northwest
Bearskin
on
Region Forest
50Fire
years
of service
Management
Centre and Aviation
www.dryden.ca
Services Hangar
www.dryden.ca
Bear Country In-Flight Magazine 41
RED LAKE AIRPORT (CYRL)
Red Lake Airport is located
1 km south of Cochenour, Ontario
and serves as a point of call for
Air Carriers offering scheduled
passenger service, an operating base
for Ontario MNR, and services both
private and commercial fixed-wing
aircraft and helicopter operators
located on site. In October 2011, a
new state-of-the-art Airport Terminal
opened its doors to serve the growing
numbers of regional visitors and
travellers. Travellers now enter a
building that boasts large ticket and
rental car counters, luggage carousel
and naturally lit seating areas.
Contact us by phone (807) 662-2581,
e-mail airport@redlake.ca, or
visit us at www.flynorth.ca.
CONISDER DEVELOPING ON
AIRPORT LAND. HERE’S WHY...
•
•
•
•
•
Fully serviced lots (power, water, sewer)
24 hour security/emergency services
Access to commercial and charter air travel
Central and ideal positioning for global growth
Water quality, flow and pressure meet or exceed
fire protection requirements
• Fibre optic access, food services on-site and
executive boardroom facilities
Call toll-free 1.855.FLY.2YSB
More info available at flysudbury.ca.
FORT FRANCES AIRPORT (CYAG)
Fort Frances Airport is a designated
“Port of Entry” to Canada, offering
24-hour Customs and Immigration
Services. Some of the other services
offered are aviation fuel and oil,
maps, charts, car rentals and aircraft
parking. For more information visit
operations.fort-frances.com/airport.
42 Bear Country In-Flight Magazine
DRYDEN REGIONAL AIRPORT (DRA)
Dryden Regional Airport is
the aviation gateway to Dryden’s
Wilderness City, which is located in
the heart of Ontario’s Northwest. DRA
has the longest runway in the Region,
complete with the most modern air
navigation system (ILS) in Canada.
We are proud to be partners with
Bearskin Airlines in providing services
to our Community. Congratulations
to Bearskin on 50 Years of Service.
Contact us by phone (807) 937-4959,
email cyhd@dyden.ca, or visit
www.dryden.ca.
THUNDER BAY
INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT (CYQT)
Thunder Bay Airport continues to
grow. The past year saw the setting
of a new passenger record with over
760,000 people arriving and departing.
2013 started with the return of direct
service to the US with the arrival
of United Airlines’ jet service to
Chicago. To learn more about what’s
going on at the Airport, please visit our
Facebook page at www.facebook.com/
Thunder-Bay-International-Airport.
SAULT STE. MARIE AIRPORT (CYAM)
KENORA AIRPORT (CYQK)
The Kenora Airport has been in
operation since 1936. At present the
Airport is operated and maintained
by the Kenora Airport Authority
who officially took ownership from
Transport Canada in 1996. The
Airport boasts Customs, Terminal,
FBO, NAV Canada tower, MNR
Fire Base and many private
hangars. Contact us by phone
(807) 548-5377, fax (807) 548-1460,
email kairport@pmcnet.ca, or visit
www.kenoraairport.ca.
Sault Ste. Marie Airport has
provided the vital air transportation
link to the people and businesses
of Sault Ste. Marie and the District
of Algoma since 1961. Since
assuming ownership and control
of the Airport from the Federal
government in 1998, the Sault
Ste. Marie Airport Development
Corporation (SSMADC) has strived
to improve air transportation services
for the community in a socially and
fiscally responsible manner, while
being progressive in its efforts to
promote, develop and upgrade
the Airport’s lands and facilities.
The SSM airport would like to
congratulate Bearskin on its 50th
Anniversary. Contact us by phone
(705) 779-3031, fax (705) 779-3371,
or visit www.saultairport.com.
Bear Country In-Flight Magazine 43
GREATER SUDBURY AIRPORT (CYSB)
The Greater Sudbury Airport is
one of Northern Ontario’s busiest
and is served by Air Canada with
daily flights to/from Toronto’s
Pearson International Airport; Porter
Airlines with daily service to/from
downtown Toronto’s Billy Bishop
City Airport; Bearskin Airlines with
air service to/from many Northern
Ontario cities; and, Sunwing Airlines
with winter charters to various sun
destinations. For more information
please visit www.flysudbury.ca.
KAPUSKASING AIRPORT (CYYU)
NORTH BAY JACK GARLAND AIRPORT (CYYB)
Located within the town limits,
Kapuskasing Airport is used by more
than 3,000 passengers annually. In
addition to the movement of people,
the airport represents a significant
employment spin-off on many
commercial sectors.
North Bay Jack Garland Airport
(YYB.ca) a multi-facetted modern
facility, serving as a national and
international connector airport
for North Bay and other Northern
Ontario communities. Outstanding
development opportunities exist
in the new fully serviced Airport
Industrial Business Park. Whether
you’re arriving, departing, exploring
or considering for your next business
venture, our 10,000 foot runway
connects us to world and is your
passport to prosperity. Contact us
by phone (705) 474-3020 or visit
www.northbayairport.com.
Strategically located halfway
between North Bay and
Thunder Bay, the airport offers ready
access to northern cities and major
urban centres in the south. Facilities
include an air terminal building,
car rental agencies, taxi service,
fueling and maintenance. Bearskin
Airlines provides Kapuskasing
travellers with three round trips
daily (Monday to Friday and one on
Sunday). Visit www.kapuskasing.ca.
TIMMINS VICTOR M. POWER AIRPORT (CYTS)
Owned and operated by the City
of Timmins, it is one of the largest in
Northern Ontario and a convenient
gateway to Toronto and northern
communities. Open 24/7, the airport
has a flight service station and
precision landing aids to ensure safe
and efficient air travel for both private
and commercial operations. It is also a
base for Ministry of Natural Resources
and ORNGE (Air Ambulance).
Contact us at (705) 360-2636 or
airport@timmins.ca.
OTTAWA INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT (CyOW)
Ottawa International Airport is a
key driver of economic activity and
proudly connects many of Ontario
communities with the nation’s capital.
Ottawa is also a strategic gateway
to link Bearskin Airlines’ markets
with international destinations
in Europe, the United States, and
YOUR BOARDING PASS TO PROSPERITY
FIRST CLASS
INTERNATIONAL
10,000 FOOT
THE SHOP
THE DOCK
10 MINUTES
CLASS
DEPARTURE
44 Bear Country In-Flight Magazine
GATE
ARRIVAL
RUNWAY
E.T.A.
yyb.ca/shoptodock
NORTH BAY’S NEWEST FULLY SERVICED INDUSTRIAL BUSINESS PARK
the Caribbean. Find out more at
www.ottawa-airport.ca, @FlyYOW,
or facebook.com/FlyYOW.
FOR BUSINESS.
When it comes to traveling from Southern Ontario,
no one gets you flying faster. With shorter lines,
faster security and convenient parking, YHM is
your true partner in flight.
FLYHAMILTON.CA
REGION OF WATERLOO
INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT (CYKF)
The Region of Waterloo
International Airport is easy to navigate
with free Wi-Fi, complimentary
baggage carts, a licensed departure
lounge café and low cost parking –
just $6 a day. Providing non-stop daily
with American to Chicago, WestJet
to Calgary or Bearskin Airlines
to Ottawa. For more information,
visit www.waterlooairport.ca.
AIRPORT CODE
The Ottawa International Airport Authority
congratulates Bearskin Airlines on
50 great years. Félicitations!
JOHN C. MUNRO HAMILTON
INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT (CYHM)
When it comes to travelling from
Southern Ontario, no one gets you
flying faster than John C. Munro
Hamilton International Airport.
Located in the heart of the golden
horseshoe, Hamilton International is
mid-way between downtown Toronto
and Niagara Falls, offering shorter
lines, faster security and convenient
parking. Bearskin provides round
trip weekly service each Thursday
between Hamilton and Kapuskasing.
Contact us by phone at (905) 679-1999,
email info@flyhamilton.ca, or visit
www.flyhamilton.ca.
ottawa-airport.ca
FlyYOW
Bear Country In-Flight Magazine 45
Happy 50th Anniversary to our Partner
Bearskin Airlines
CORPORATE &
VACATION SPECIALISTS
705.564.9990
1.866.885.8846
www.merit.ca
266 Caswell Drive, Sudbury
46 Bear Country In-Flight Magazine
ON-4499356/4499372
*Lynn Lake
Flin Flon
The Pas
Red Lake
Winnipeg
Kenora
Sioux Lookout
Dryden
Kapuskasing
Fort Frances
Thunder Bay
Timmins
Sault Ste.
Marie
Sudbury
North
Bay
Kitchener
Waterloo
*Hamilton
Ottawa