I was reminiscing about what it felt like to fly when I was a boy. Words like exhilarating, exciting and fun come to mind. With my dad in the Air Force I flew a few times in RCAF planes like the DC3 Dakota, DC4 Northstar, C-119 Flying Boxcar, and CL-44 Yukon that had real seats. The first three had canvas bench seating I called paratrooper seating. The DC3, DC4 and C-119 were not pressurized and they were cold inside, even in July. Oh, and noisy, very noisy. When you boarded you were handed two things, a barf bag and cotton to stuff in your ears. My first flight in a civilian commercial aircraft was in a Trans-Canada Airlines (which became Air Canada) turbo-prop Viscount and I thought boy, this is really cool. The seats were comfortable, and the cabin was pressurized and quiet. Of course, in my grown-up years flying has become a lot less cool and neither exhilarating nor exciting. There’s not a lot of choice going to and from Saskatoon. It’s either Air Canada or Westjet or one of their subsidiaries depending on where and when you want to go. A recent report from the Competition Bureau recommends Canada should roll back restrictions on foreign ownership for domestic airlines to strengthen domestic competition. The report says that with the right policy changes governments can create the conditions for new airlines to grow and compete and give Canadians access to more affordable, reliable options for flights. Well, we’ll see if that report generates any action. I won’t hold my breath.
airlines
By Jason Pankewich
Jun 27, 2025 | 8:00 AM
Saskatoon Weather
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