C a n a d i a n  ATC

  For a couple of years, well at least 1 year, Bob Parker has been promising to send along some ATC pictures. In mid January 2010, Bob sent along a number of photos. I will add pictures as I find names for the people in some of photos, but I will start with pictures that can be readily identified. Bob has had a life-long interest in aviation and thankfully brought along his camera on many occasions.

  It's hard to imagine that some 80 years ago, aviation was in its infant stage and regular transatlantic flights were only a dream.

From Wikipedia; "As trans-Atlantic aviation became more popular in the 1920 and '30s, many aviation pioneers chose to make their crossing from the nearby Harbour Grace airfield due to its proximity to continental Europe. Altogether, some twenty flights left Harbour Grace from 1927 to 1936 in their attempts to cross the Atlantic. Amelia Earhart took flight from Harbour Grace on May 20, 1932, to become only the 3rd person and the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic. "

  The first picture is looking East towards the Atlantic, and Europe, many hours away. The second photo is facing West and it the direction most of these early flights took off. Early aviators were smart to use gravity to provide additional speed as they were almost always over gross weight.

  Here is an interesting link to more information about Harbour Grace.

  The evening eastbound flow. Gander operates something like an accordian. In the late afternoon and early evening it is quiet, then the evening eastbound flow starts and the center gets very busy. When the flow is over it is quiet again until late at night, or early in the morning if you prefer, the westbound flow begins and the center again shifts into high gear, scravell'in gear to the locals.


  Gander Centre, CZQX, has long been one of the best air traffic control facilities in the world and was one of the first to utilize computers as GAATS dates into the mid 1960s! Did I mention Newfoundland pride? Check out the flag. This went up on the wall many years ago during Transport Canada days. Perhaps it's still there...

Aviation Milestone Looking back at the opening of the international terminal at Gander International Airport

GANDER, NL - Before Broadway's blinding lights and Frank Sinatra and the tragedy of Arrow Air Flight 1285, there was an idea for an air port somewhere in central Newfoundland. That somewhere is now known as the Town of Gander. But the path from a railway mile post to the aviation crossroads of the world wasn't always guaranteed; it's a story that predates the opening of Gander's glamourous international terminal back in 1959. Jack Pinsent, president of the Gander Airport Historical Society, said it all began with the idea to build an airport in the woods.

 "The airport came before the town," he explained, adding that British officials were looking for a location near a railway and on a plateau. They just so happened to find it at milepost 213, which is where they decided to cut down some trees and this was Gander. This is how it all started."

From Air Force to Commercial Airlines By 1939, the airport was complete - just in time, coincidentally, for the Second World War. Gander quickly became an air force town, swelling to some 15,000 people as Canadian, American and British forces set up base. In many ways the war established the town as a central point in transatlantic aviation.

 "Even though they were flying bombers from Gander to England, this was a test for commercial aviation," said Pinsent.

It became apparent in the mid 1950s that a larger terminal was needed to accommodate the town's booming aviation industry, an idea culminated in the construction of what is now known as the international terminal.

Paddy Penney, a research officer for Gander Heritage Trails Inc., said the expanded runways and new termi nal took up what was the American sector in town. "They really had to take down and dismantle a lot of buildings because, basically, where Gander is today is where the American sector was," he said. And with changes to the airport came changes to the town; people began leaving the old air force base and moved to newer quarters.

New Development Dr. Peter Blackie, who grew up in Gander and is a local history buff, recalled that his family was excited for both the new terminal and town location.

 "I think people moving from old, cramped quarters into new homes was a very positive thing. People were looking forward to this fancy new terminal building which was supposed to be a gorgeous place." Blackie said his family moved around 1955.

For his part, Pinsent said he can re member playing baseball near the old military runway but, as a child, wasn't overly concerned with the promise of a new terminal. But it was a different story for his parents.

 "They were all excited by this new town because my mother, in particular, was going to get a new house," said Pinsent.

People continued to move from the old base as the new terminal progressed but, as Penney described, it was a trickle instead of an exodus.

 "The town didn't officially become a municipality until 1958 but people still lived at the earlier town site until the 1960s," he said. "It was a gradual move."

And then, on June 19, 1959, Queen Elizabeth II came to visit, opening the new terminal building and ushering in an international lounge fit for the rich and the famous. Sixty years later, the event ends out as a defining moment for the airport and the town.

 "I think the legacy is that Gander is an aviation town and without the airport, we wouldn't exist," said Penney.

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Air Traffic Controller Brian O'Rourke mans the Gander control tower in July 1953.

... a photo (with legend) of my Uncle Philip Mayo, when he was learning to fly c1940.

He put the names of the other two officers on the back, and I just Googled Vic Skinner, Winnipeg.
Philip (Capt. P.A.R.Mayo) went on to fly Spitfires in the Battle of Britain and was a commercial pilot after the war until he retired. He passed away in 2005, aged 87. His brother (my uncle David) was shot down and killed in a Lancaster at Sint Niklaas, Belgium, returning from a raid over Duisberg, two weeks before D-day.
My grandfather RGE Mayo was a captain in the army in WW1, being awarded the Military Cross at Passchendale. He was then a Squadron Leader in the RAF in WW2. My Mum was also in the WAAF in WW2."
Regards, Phil How - Hertfordshire, England..        Sometimes an unexpected email just makes your day.    pg

  These days, at many of Canada's airports that have a control tower, the structures are modern and filled with many computerized systems. Heck, they're even air-conditioned! It wasn't always like that. Thanks to Bob Parker's good sense to carry a camera we can see the old and new.

Near right: I've never been to Moncton airport but the old tower is similar to other "old ones". Bet it was cold in the winter!!

Far right: View from the old SJ tower, looking West.

A couple of pictures taken inside the cab of the old Saint John tower.

Far left: Standing on the left is David Publicover, and on ground that's Terry Chase.
Near left: David Publicover on ground and Shaun Miekle on the air mike.

Saint John tower: Then and Now

I contacted John (JJ) Corbett to put names to faces in the SJZ photos. In turn, Vic Boymook, Brendan Boymook and Dave Publicover were contacted. Turns out that in the 1960s Vic was a Nav on Argus. My good friend Hugh McCallum was an RO on the Argus during those years. Gotta love the internet for making connections! Thanks to John Corbett and Bob Parker.

Saint John NB tower 1969

 Regular YSJ Controllers included Norm Bevans and Leo MacDermid.
 Powers that be thought it was going to be busy back in the summer and had put a bunch of new Controllers in but the Bay Of Fundy fog was often right up to the Tower windows.
 Younger chaps included Barrie MacLeod, David Puxley, Bruce Sowrby, Harry McGeehan, Don Donovan & others.
 Stairwell on the left. Step outside to enter the cab. We changed our own tapes.

Halifax TCU 1993

 Prior to 1960, there was no civilian airport serving Halifax Nova Scotia .TCA and others used the Royal Canadian Navy airport in Shearwater (YAW). The Halifax international airport was opened in 1960 and YHZ tower and TCU were manned mostly by Nova Scotians who worked in Gander ACC and Tower.33 years later in 1993, the TCU was transferred to YQM ACC. Anyone who had 30 + years was given a 35-year pension.
 This picture was the last few moments during the turnover. Some may recognize (JM) Jim Livingston Ex national CATCA president. He was certainly one of the good guys. Our oldest TCU controller was Frank Stanislow and he was given the honor of turning off the lights a few moments later.
 Mike, Jim, Frank, Norm, John    Thanks to John Corbett for this look back.

from Hank Batt: "Interior of control tower, Montreal Airport, Dorval Que. April 1947:



(Phil Gies) From my memory of working in Dorval tower in 1967-68, the location of the tower would have been next to the old administration building which was East of the threshold of 06L.

from Hank Batt: "Control tower, from roof of admin bldg."

from Hank Batt: "Hangars from Admin bldg"
Aircraft L to R
TCA "Northstar" Douglas DC4-M
BOAC 'Speedbird" Lockheed Constellation (L49)
BOAC 'Speedbird" Consolidated Liberator (B24)
Itinerant Lockjeed Lodestar
Itinerant Beechcraft (C45)
Itinerant Ercoupe
Colonial Airlines - Douglas DC3

from Hank Batt: "Mount Royal from Admin, Bldg.
Lancastrian running up on East taxi strip"

from Hank Batt: "Mount Royal (in the distance). From Admin Bldg.
Bristol 170 running up on East taxi strip)"

from Hank Batt: "Grumman Mallard. Owned by Sir James Dunn, Pres. of Algoma Steel Co. etc, etc, etc.

from Hank Batt: "Avro Lancastrian and Douglas DC3"

(Mount Royal visible in upper left side of photo)

from Hank Batt: "Lockheed P-80 "Shooting Star
Jet-propelled aircraft prior to taking off in an attempt to break speed record Montreal to Detroit.
Montreal Airport, Dorval P.Q. Summer 1947"

from Hank Batt: "B.O.A.C Liberator making an practice low approach using ILS (SCS 15)"
"Wheeler Airlines Anson and Northeast Airlines DC3 parked on ramp."

1987 Management Skills Program - NCTI, Cornwall Ontario

left photo: Grant Downes second from left. Gary Hollier to the right of the lady.
right photo: Grant Downes, back row, 4th from left.
  Gary Hollier, middle row, 3rd from right.

    This picture of early ATC automation course comes from Dennis Knelson. He believes the year to be 1981.

      back row:   L-R:   John Mardsen, John Evans, ?? , ??, Don Maclean
    middle row:   L-R:   ?Brown?, Dennis Knelsen, ??, ??, Wayne Sherriff
      front row:   L-R:    Roley Reimer, Al Smith, Frank Stack.

Known as the "wisemen", this was headquarters Operational Evaluation team in the 1970s.

back row:   L-R: Pierre Sauve, (John MacNeill?), Al Yeadon, Jack Penney, Nick Odyninki, Floyd Kelly, Don Parrish, Tom Fudakowski

front rows:  L-R: Doug Buchanan, Chuck McQuaig, Ned Taylor, Don Piercey

We all know that behind every "wiseman" there is an even stronger "wisewoman"...

back row:   L-R: Eileen, Pat, Joanne, Shelia, Helen, Eleanor, Janet

front rows:  L-R: Cynthia, Marilyn, Edna, Susanne, Mickie

  Likely very few of the current generation of controllers would remember the IFR OPS initiative of almost 20 years ago, however I do. That's the concept man, Gord Gibson on the right and former YZ supervisor Ernie Gauthier.

  from Chuck McCuaig (Feb2015): A little history on the last photo of the cake. It was handmade by the ladies of the IFR operations division and served at the closing party which we held in a rented room at the Minto Suites. I helped serve it up after a homemade dinner, carefully cutting out the hot air balloon in its entirety then brought it over to the Gordo who was holding court with a few select others. Always being the wise guy I presented it to him with the comment for all to hear."Now Gord don't you think for a minute that this might be symbolic of you being full of hot air". He gave me one of his patented sly little grins with no comment and accepted the cake. God bless his soul.

  corrected dates - thanks Grant

(left) Margaret Dunseith played an important role in the history of Toronto Island Airport (now Billy Bishop Airport) and was a pioneer for Canadian women in aviation. Photo: Courtesy - Ports Toronto

(right) Margaret Dunseith had worked as an assistant air-traffic controller for years, including with the RCAF in the Second World War, when the federal Department of Transport changed its regulations to allow women to hold the top job. On this day in 1952, she started work as Canada's first female air-traffic controller. Being first meant she was a popular topic in the media. The Imperial Oil Review magazine called clearing and landing planes a "man-size job" in 1958, even as Ms. Dunseith was shifting that narrative. She was reportedly calm in the face of the tension-filled job. "You can only land one plane at a time," she told The Star Weekly that same year, "so there's no point in getting excited." After 28 years, Ms. Dunseith retired in June of 1980. She arrived at her own surprise party in style, in a helicopter, and strolled in to find a standing ovation from more than 200 fellow controllers. In 1989, the airport (which celebrates 80 years next month) named its new, $3.2-million control tower the Margaret R. Dunseith building. Ms. Dunseith was a trailblazer but today, NAV Canada reports that only 17 per cent of Canada's air-traffic controllers are women. (Samantha McCabe)

Recollection by Chuck McCuaig

Margaret was sharp as a tack. Back in the early 70s I was working the radios in a Cessna 310 inbound to the "Island" We and a lot of others were trying to get in before the curfew for GA ops leading up to the Airshow. The frequency was jammed steady with about 30 a/c inbound including a couple of clueless Americans to add to the confusion. The male controller voice (likely a trainee) became meek and then not responding to most calls. At that stage Marg's authoritative voice interjected with a steady string of well organized instructions to all including detailed holding instruction to several including us (as a speedy twin). Took about 20 min to sort it all out. One of the finest examples of expert controlling which I still remember.

1957 photo of the Lakehead airport. The twin cities of Port Arthur and Fort William were popularly known as the Lakehead. The name of Thunderbay was chosen by public voting (Lakehead was one of the choices) and the official name change occurred on January 1, 1970.

Fred Ginter (chief QTZ then known as Lakehead Tower)

"I have your future in the palm of my hand.""

Famous, or perhaps infamous quote received by all new trainees at this facility!

1958 Lakehead (QT) party

Ray Landry (under the table, which was not usually where you found Ray...

Sgt McLaughlin(RCAF GCA), and Brian West.

Think they just started??..??

Same party, this photo shows Orval Sneeve, Ray Foster, Doug Ellis.

  Cliff Strachan: "The photo of Mt. McKay from the tower and from the airport infield looking almost straight down R12. It's well represented on approach charts by spot height.

(ed.note: I checked with Ron Dupree (1000 Aircraft Photos) regarding the odd looking airplane behind the Cessna, he has another QT picture and says it is a Vultee 74 BT-13 Valiant.)

Cliff: ... I think this is the most interesting photo. It shows not only the radar "site" but QT TCU control unit - shack is more appropriate - located as it was on a hill about nine nm NW of and 1100' above the airport. It was a garage basically. And "pre-tech" right down to the "can" - which, again best describes this facility - both in the immediate and broader sense. It was not unusual to be VFR at the airport and in the clag at the site. Or, alternatively aircraft were missing approaches while we were "on top" looking across to Mt. McKay!

    Lakehead Tower 1962. Ah, those were the days...

If you were to compare the inside of QT tower in 1962 with today, you wouldn't think you were in the same business. Now the environment is completely digital and modern. I wonder if the same sense of adventure, the sense of being an integral part of the aviation industry is still there...

(ed. note: Cliff also sent in a picture of the 1962 QT IFR course, check out page 2)

Ah, summers in Northwestern Ontario - which really means forest fires.

Gerry Holmstrom doing duty at Dryden in 1974.

Another photo of the 1974 Dryden fire-fighting ATC operations.

Ron Berg is either observing Gerry Holmstrom or else doing a "check ride".

Sometimes things just fall into place.
The only flying Lancaster bomber in Canada was on its way back East from Winnipeg while I was at our cottage near Kenora. Our son Michael is a controller in WG ACC and together with Terry Ferguson found out when the Lanc left Winnipeg and phoned me. I added 30mins to the time and then drove to a good viewing area. 5 mins later I heard the rumble of RR Merlins and the Lanc appeared, flying at about 1500ft.
What a great sight in the clear blue sky.

On the left, Joe Heaven, tower controller

Regina tower cab, May 1948.

Saskatchewan Government hangar.

Road to the airport

On the left, Regina Terminal building

Regina Terminal building and Saskatchewan Government hangar.

Henry "Hank" Gair Batt collection, pictures of the Regina Airport, May 1948.


  Thanks to Eileen Batt

Saskatoon terminal building and tower, 1955.

An early picture of XE tower. Year unknown but looking at the equipment, I would guess pre 1964 at least.

Saskatoon TCU ppi scopes and board, circa 1964.

A great find from Roy, a picture of the XE terminal staff in 1959.

First off the view, some say the best in Canada.
I cannot argue the point although Dorval always seemed pretty good to me...

The only person I recognize is Al Otto - short sleeved shirt on the right.

   ... as a matter of interest, the Jean Paul Fournier who was the DOT Inspector in the 1950 photo sent to you by Dave Hilchie later became the Montreal Regional Superintendent of Air Regs, or perhaps it was accident investigation. He was the lead investigator in the CP DC4 crash 40 miles southwest of Quebec City in 1957 (79 killed).

  When Frank Levesque and I arrived in the Congo in August 1960, Paul was the Chef de Mission for ICAO and he offered the two of us to live in a villa that he was renting from a Belgian woman who had fled and returned to Brussels. One evening Paul told us that he had resigned from the DOT because OW would not act on his recommendation to shut down the airline. Apparently, the fledgling airline had committed so many errors that Paul felt that he had no choice. He went on to have a very successful career with ICAO including being among the investigators of the Dag Hammarskjold crash in Northern Rhodesia in 1961. He sat beside me for one of my last tasks before returning to YUL (as the first witness called before the UN Investigation Board).
  Photo taken in front of our villa: Paul Fournier, me, Bill Brownlee, a Scottish Canadian radio tech, Frank and Bill Routliffe, also a Canadian controller from Quebec.

(Ed note: Another reference and picture of JP Fournier are to be found in the Wifred Hilchie section of the YUL webpage)