Bearskin Airlines
Encyclopedia
Bearskin Lake Air Services Ltd., trading as Bearskin Airlines, is a regional airline
based in Sioux Lookout, Ontario
, Canada
. It operates services in northern Ontario and Manitoba
. Its main bases are Sioux Lookout Airport
(YXL) and Thunder Bay International Airport
(YQT), with a hub at Greater Sudbury Airport (YSB).
Otto John Hegland and started operations in July 1963 from its base at Big Trout Lake, Ontario
(but was named after Bearskin Lake
where Hegland had a general store). It started out by providing only charter services to the remote First Nations
reserve
s in northern Ontario
, using bush plane
s equipped with floats in the summer and skis in the winter. In 1977, they began their first regular scheduled flights between Big Trout Lake and Sioux Lookout.
From then on, other scheduled flights were progressively added, first to Thunder Bay
, followed by Kenora and Winnipeg
. This was also the period when the Government of Ontario
began constructing new airfields that would make the northern communities accessible year-round. Therefore in the late 1970s to the early 1980s, Bearskin made the transition of bush planes to wheeled commuter plane
s.
Following the collapse of NorOntair
in 1996, Bearskin picked up over two thirds of that carrier's routes, thereby adding scheduled service to all the major northern Ontario cities. Three years later, it expanded operations to destinations in northern Manitoba. In 2003, it sold their routes and assets servicing northern First Nations communities to Wasaya Airways
. This marked as a break with their bush flying background to focus on becoming a regional carrier.
It was owned by Harvey Friesen (President), Cliff Friesen (Executive Vice-President), Karl Friesen (Vice President of Operations), Rick Baratta (Vice President of Finance) and Brad Martin (Director of Operations), but in 2010 it was sold to Exchange Industrial Corporation (EIC) for $32 million. EIC also owns Calm Air
, Perimeter Aviation
, and Keewatin Air
. Bearskin has 240 employees.
As of September 19, 2010 Bearskin launched a five time/day service from the Regional Municipality of Waterloo to Ottawa with a 5-trip return each day as well.
A Saab 340
belonging to, and operated by Calm Air, is being used by Bearskin for some flights. Bearskin hopes to have a second Saab in operation by the fall of 2011.
Regional airline
Regional airlines are airlines that operate regional aircraft to provide passenger air service to communities without sufficient demand to attract mainline service...
based in Sioux Lookout, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. It operates services in northern Ontario and Manitoba
Manitoba
Manitoba is a Canadian prairie province with an area of . The province has over 110,000 lakes and has a largely continental climate because of its flat topography. Agriculture, mostly concentrated in the fertile southern and western parts of the province, is vital to the province's economy; other...
. Its main bases are Sioux Lookout Airport
Sioux Lookout Airport
Sioux Lookout Airport, , is a regional airport based in Sioux Lookout, Ontario, Canada. The airport opened in 1933. It was, at the time, the second busiest airport in North America next to Chicago Midway International Airport...
(YXL) and Thunder Bay International Airport
Thunder Bay International Airport
Thunder Bay Airport or Thunder Bay International Airport, , is an airport in the Canadian city of Thunder Bay, Ontario. With 80,591 aircraft movements in 2010 it was the 7th busiest airport in Ontario and the 24th busiest airport in Canada...
(YQT), with a hub at Greater Sudbury Airport (YSB).
History
The airline was established in 1963 by bush pilotBush flying
Bush flying is a term for aircraft operations carried out in remote, inhospitable regions of the world. Bush flying involves operations in rough terrain where there are often no prepared landing strips or runways, frequently necessitating that bush planes be equipped with abnormally large tires,...
Otto John Hegland and started operations in July 1963 from its base at Big Trout Lake, Ontario
Kitchenuhmaykoosib Inninuwug First Nation
Kitchenuhmaykoosib Inninuwug , also known as Big Trout Lake First Nation or KI for short, is a First Nations community in Northwestern Ontario. Part of Treaty 9...
(but was named after Bearskin Lake
Bearskin Lake First Nation
Bearskin Lake First Nation is an Oji-Cree First Nation in the Canadian province of Ontario, located in the Kenora District 425 kilometres north of Sioux Lookout. Bearskin First Nation's total registered population in September, 2007, was 831, of which their on-reserve population was 423.Three...
where Hegland had a general store). It started out by providing only charter services to the remote First Nations
First Nations
First Nations is a term that collectively refers to various Aboriginal peoples in Canada who are neither Inuit nor Métis. There are currently over 630 recognised First Nations governments or bands spread across Canada, roughly half of which are in the provinces of Ontario and British Columbia. The...
reserve
Indian reserve
In Canada, an Indian reserve is specified by the Indian Act as a "tract of land, the legal title to which is vested in Her Majesty, that has been set apart by Her Majesty for the use and benefit of a band." The Act also specifies that land reserved for the use and benefit of a band which is not...
s in northern Ontario
Northern Ontario
Northern Ontario is a region of the Canadian province of Ontario which lies north of Lake Huron , the French River and Lake Nipissing. The region has a land area of 802,000 km2 and constitutes 87% of the land area of Ontario, although it contains only about 6% of the population...
, using bush plane
Bush plane
A bush airplane is a general aviation aircraft serving remote, undeveloped areas of a country, usually the African bush, Alaskan and Canadian tundra or the Australian Outback...
s equipped with floats in the summer and skis in the winter. In 1977, they began their first regular scheduled flights between Big Trout Lake and Sioux Lookout.
From then on, other scheduled flights were progressively added, first to Thunder Bay
Thunder Bay
-In Canada:Thunder Bay is the name of three places in the province of Ontario, Canada along Lake Superior:*Thunder Bay District, Ontario, a district in Northwestern Ontario*Thunder Bay, a city in Thunder Bay District*Thunder Bay, Unorganized, Ontario...
, followed by Kenora and Winnipeg
Winnipeg
Winnipeg is the capital and largest city of Manitoba, Canada, and is the primary municipality of the Winnipeg Capital Region, with more than half of Manitoba's population. It is located near the longitudinal centre of North America, at the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine Rivers .The name...
. This was also the period when the Government of Ontario
Government of Ontario
The Government of Ontario refers to the provincial government of the province of Ontario, Canada. Its powers and structure are set out in the Constitution Act, 1867....
began constructing new airfields that would make the northern communities accessible year-round. Therefore in the late 1970s to the early 1980s, Bearskin made the transition of bush planes to wheeled commuter plane
Regional airliner
A regional airliner or a feederliner is a small airliner designed to fly up to 100 passengers on short-haul flights, usually feeding larger carriers' hubs from small markets. This class of airliners are typically flown by the regional airlines that are either contracted by or subsidiaries of the...
s.
Following the collapse of NorOntair
NorOntair
NorOntair is a defunct airline from Canada that operated its first scheduled flight October 18, 1971 and its last flight March 29, 1996.-Dash 8 service:* Fort Frances* Kapuskasing* North Bay* Sault Ste...
in 1996, Bearskin picked up over two thirds of that carrier's routes, thereby adding scheduled service to all the major northern Ontario cities. Three years later, it expanded operations to destinations in northern Manitoba. In 2003, it sold their routes and assets servicing northern First Nations communities to Wasaya Airways
Wasaya Airways
Wasaya Airways LP is a 100% First Nations owned domestic airline with its headquarters in Thunder Bay, Northern Ontario...
. This marked as a break with their bush flying background to focus on becoming a regional carrier.
It was owned by Harvey Friesen (President), Cliff Friesen (Executive Vice-President), Karl Friesen (Vice President of Operations), Rick Baratta (Vice President of Finance) and Brad Martin (Director of Operations), but in 2010 it was sold to Exchange Industrial Corporation (EIC) for $32 million. EIC also owns Calm Air
Calm Air
Calm Air International LP. is an airline based in Thompson, Manitoba, Canada and is presently owned by the Exchange Income Corporation. It operates services in northern Manitoba and the Kivalliq Region of Nunavut. Charter and freight services are also undertaken. Its main base is Thompson Airport.-...
, Perimeter Aviation
Perimeter Aviation
Perimeter Aviation LP is an airline based in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. Perimeter Aviation operates 35 aircraft on scheduled, charter, and medevac service. It also operates four aircraft on charter service. It was established and started operations in 1960...
, and Keewatin Air
Keewatin Air
Keewatin Air is an airline that operates out of Rankin Inlet, Nunavut, Canada. The airline was started by Frank Robert May and his wife Judy Saxby in 1972, in the Keewatin Region, then part of the Northwest Territories.Formed as "Keewatin Air Lifeline" they originally provided charter services to...
. Bearskin has 240 employees.
Destinations
Bearskin Airlines operates services to the following Canadian domestic scheduled destinations (as of November 26, 2011):- ManitobaManitobaManitoba is a Canadian prairie province with an area of . The province has over 110,000 lakes and has a largely continental climate because of its flat topography. Agriculture, mostly concentrated in the fertile southern and western parts of the province, is vital to the province's economy; other...
- Flin FlonFlin FlonFlin Flon is a Canadian mining city located on the border of Manitoba and Saskatchewan, with the majority of the city located within Manitoba.- Founding :...
(Flin Flon AirportFlin Flon AirportFlin Flon Airport, , is located southeast of Flin Flon, Manitoba, Canada. The southeast end of the runway is traversed by Canning Road via an uncontrolled crossing.-Airlines and destinations:-External links:* on COPA's Places to Fly airport directory...
) - Lynn LakeLynn Lake, ManitobaLynn Lake is a small town in the northwest region of Manitoba, Canada, 1,071 km from Winnipeg. The town was named after Lynn Smith, chief engineer of Sherritt Gordon Mines Ltd. There are numerous outfitters in the Lynn Lake area...
(Lynn Lake AirportLynn Lake AirportLynn Lake Airport, , is located adjacent to Lynn Lake, Manitoba, Canada....
) - The PasThe Pas, ManitobaThe Pas is a town in Manitoba, Canada, located in Division No. 21, Manitoba in the Northern Region, some 630 kilometres northwest of the provincial capital, Winnipeg, near the border of Saskatchewan. It is sometimes still called Paskoyac by locals as the first trading post was called Fort Paskoyac...
(The Pas AirportThe Pas AirportThe Pas Airport, , is located northeast of The Pas, Manitoba, Canada.-Airlines and destinations:-See also:*The Pas/Grace Lake Airport*The Pas/Grace Lake Water Aerodrome...
) - WinnipegWinnipegWinnipeg is the capital and largest city of Manitoba, Canada, and is the primary municipality of the Winnipeg Capital Region, with more than half of Manitoba's population. It is located near the longitudinal centre of North America, at the confluence of the Red and Assiniboine Rivers .The name...
(Winnipeg James Armstrong Richardson International Airport)
- Flin Flon
- OntarioOntarioOntario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
- DrydenDryden, OntarioDryden is the second-largest city in the Kenora District of Northwestern Ontario, Canada, located on Wabigoon Lake. It is the smallest community in the province of Ontario designated as a city...
(Dryden Regional AirportDryden Regional AirportDryden Regional Airport, , is located northeast of Dryden, Ontario, Canada.-Airlines and destinations:-External links:* on COPA's Places to Fly airport directory*...
) - Fort Frances (Fort Frances Municipal AirportFort Frances Municipal AirportFort Frances Municipal Airport, , is located northwest of Fort Frances, Ontario, Canada.The airport is classified as an airport of entry by NAV CANADA and is staffed by the Canada Border Services Agency...
) - Kapuskasing (Kapuskasing AirportKapuskasing Airport-Charter:...
) - Kenora (Kenora AirportKenora AirportKenora Airport, , is located east northeast of Kenora, Ontario, Canada. The airport is classified as an airport of entry by NAV CANADA and is staffed by the Canada Border Services Agency. CBSA officers at this airport currently can handle general aviation aircraft with no more than 15...
) - North BayNorth Bay, OntarioNorth Bay is a city in Northeastern Ontario, Canada. It is the seat of Nipissing District, and takes its name from its position on the shore of Lake Nipissing.-History:...
(North Bay/Jack Garland AirportNorth Bay/Jack Garland AirportNorth Bay Airport or North Bay/Jack Garland Airport in North Bay, Ontario, Canada is located at Hornell Heights, north-northeast of the city. The airport serves as a North American Aerospace Defense Command base....
) - OttawaOttawaOttawa is the capital of Canada, the second largest city in the Province of Ontario, and the fourth largest city in the country. The city is located on the south bank of the Ottawa River in the eastern portion of Southern Ontario...
(Ottawa Macdonald-Cartier International AirportOttawa Macdonald-Cartier International AirportOttawa/Macdonald-Cartier International Airport or Macdonald-Cartier International Airport , in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada is named after Sirs John A. Macdonald and George-Étienne Cartier...
) - Red LakeRed Lake, OntarioPopulation trend:* Population in 2006: 4526* Population in 2001: 4233* Population total in 1996: 4778** Golden : 2248** Red Lake : 2277* Population in 1991:** Golden : 2355** Red Lake : 2268-Climate:...
(Red Lake AirportRed Lake AirportRed Lake Airport, , is located north of Red Lake, Ontario, Canada.The airport is classified as an airport of entry by NAV CANADA and is staffed by the Canada Border Services Agency. CBSA officers at this airport currently can handle general aviation aircraft only, with no more than 15 passengers....
) - Sault Ste. MarieSault Ste. Marie, OntarioSault Ste. Marie is a city on the St. Marys River in Algoma District, Ontario, Canada. It is the third largest city in Northern Ontario, after Sudbury and Thunder Bay, with a population of 74,948. The community was founded as a French religious mission: Sault either means "jump" or "rapids" in...
(Sault Ste. Marie AirportSault Ste. Marie AirportSault Ste. Marie Airport, , is an international airport located west-southwest of the city of Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, Canada at the far eastern end of Lake Superior and the beginning of the St. Mary's River.-History:...
) - Sioux Lookout (Sioux Lookout AirportSioux Lookout AirportSioux Lookout Airport, , is a regional airport based in Sioux Lookout, Ontario, Canada. The airport opened in 1933. It was, at the time, the second busiest airport in North America next to Chicago Midway International Airport...
) - Sudbury (Sudbury Airport)
- Thunder BayThunder Bay-In Canada:Thunder Bay is the name of three places in the province of Ontario, Canada along Lake Superior:*Thunder Bay District, Ontario, a district in Northwestern Ontario*Thunder Bay, a city in Thunder Bay District*Thunder Bay, Unorganized, Ontario...
(Thunder Bay International AirportThunder Bay International AirportThunder Bay Airport or Thunder Bay International Airport, , is an airport in the Canadian city of Thunder Bay, Ontario. With 80,591 aircraft movements in 2010 it was the 7th busiest airport in Ontario and the 24th busiest airport in Canada...
) - TimminsTimminsTimmins is a city in northeastern Ontario, Canada on the Mattagami River. At the time of the Canada 2006 Census, Timmins' population was 42,997...
(Timmins/Victor M. Power Airport) - KitchenerKitchener, OntarioThe City of Kitchener is a city in Southern Ontario, Canada. It was the Town of Berlin from 1854 until 1912 and the City of Berlin from 1912 until 1916. The city had a population of 204,668 in the Canada 2006 Census...
/WaterlooRegional Municipality of WaterlooThe Regional Municipality of Waterloo is a regional municipality located in Southern Ontario, Canada. It consists of the cities of Kitchener, Cambridge, and Waterloo, and the townships of Wellesley, Woolwich, Wilmot, and North Dumfries. It is often referred to as the Region of Waterloo or just...
(Region of Waterloo International AirportRegion of Waterloo International AirportRegion of Waterloo International Airport or Kitchener/Waterloo Airport is situated near Breslau, in Woolwich Township, Waterloo Region, Ontario, Canada....
)
- Dryden
- QuebecQuebecQuebec or is a province in east-central Canada. It is the only Canadian province with a predominantly French-speaking population and the only one whose sole official language is French at the provincial level....
- MontrealMontrealMontreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...
(Montréal-Pierre Elliott Trudeau International AirportMontréal-Pierre Elliott Trudeau International AirportMontréal-Pierre Elliott Trudeau International Airport or Montréal-Trudeau, formerly known as Montréal-Dorval International Airport, is located on the Island of Montreal, from Montreal's downtown core. The airport terminals are located entirely in Dorval, while the Air Canada headquarters complex...
)
- Montreal
Routes
| Leaving From: | Going To: |
|---|---|
| Dryden | Kenora, Red Lake, Sioux Lookout, Fort Frances, Thunder Bay, Winnipeg |
| Flin Flon | Lynn Lake, The Pas, Winnipeg |
| Fort Frances | Kenora, Dryden, Thunder Bay, Winnipeg |
| Kapuskasing | North Bay, Ottawa, Sault Ste. Marie, Sudbury, Thunder Bay, Timmins |
| Kenora | Dryden, Fort Frances, Sioux Lookout, Thunder Bay, Winnipeg |
| Kitchener/Waterloo | Ottawa, Montreal |
| Lynn Lake | Flinn Flon, The Pas, Winnipeg |
| Montreal | Ottawa, Sudbury, Kitchener/Waterloo |
| North Bay | Kapuskasing, Ottawa, Sault Ste. Marie, Sudbury, Thunder Bay, Timmins |
| Ottawa | Kapuskasing, Montreal, North Bay, Sault Ste. Marie, Sudbury, Thunder Bay, Timmins, Waterloo |
| Red Lake | Dryden, Sioux Lookout, Thunder Bay, Winnipeg |
| Sault Ste. Marie | Kapuskasing, North Bay, Ottawa, Sudbury, Thunder Bay, Timmins |
| Sioux Lookout | Dryden, Kenora, Red Lake, Thunder Bay, Winnipeg |
| Sudbury | Kapuskasing, Montreal, North Bay, Ottawa, Sault Ste. Marie, Thunder Bay, Timmins |
| The Pas | Flin Flon, Lynn Lake, Winnipeg |
| Thunder Bay | Dryden, Fort Francis, Kapuskasing, Kenora, North Bay, Ottawa, Red Lake, Sault Ste. Marie, Sioux Lookout, Sudbury, Timmins, Winnipeg |
| Timmins | Kapuskasing, North Bay, Ottawa, Sault Ste. Marie, Sudbury, Thunder Bay |
| Winnipeg | Dryden, Flin Flon, Fort Francis, Kenora, Lynn Lake, Red Lake, Sioux Lookout, The Pas, Thunder Bay |
As of September 19, 2010 Bearskin launched a five time/day service from the Regional Municipality of Waterloo to Ottawa with a 5-trip return each day as well.
Fleet
The Bearskin Airlines fleet includes the following aircraft (as of June 2011):| Aircraft | No. of Aircraft (BLS list) |
No. of Aircraft (TC Transport Canada Transport Canada is the department within the government of Canada which is responsible for developing regulations, policies and services of transportation in Canada. It is part of the Transportation, Infrastructure and Communities portfolio... list) |
Variants | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beechcraft King Air 100 Beechcraft King Air The Beechcraft King Air family is part of a line of twin-turboprop aircraft produced by the Beech Aircraft Corporation... |
0 | 1 | GKAJ | |
| Cessna 180 Cessna 180 The Cessna 180 is a four- or six-seat, fixed conventional gear general aviation airplane which was produced between 1953 and 1981. Though the design is no longer in production, many of these aircraft are still in use as personal aircraft and in utility roles such as bush... |
0 | 1 | GQVR | |
| Cessna 185 Cessna 185 -Specification for differing configurations:-References:* Jan Churchill, Hit My Smoke: Forward Air Controllers in Southeast Asia, Sunflower University Press, Manhattan KS, ISBN 0-89745-215-1... |
0 | 1 | GFVY | |
| Fairchild Swearingen Metroliner Fairchild Swearingen Metroliner The Fairchild Swearingen Metroliner or the Fairchild Aerospace Metro is a 19-seat, pressurised, twin turboprop airliner first produced by Swearingen Aircraft and later by Fairchild at a plant in San Antonio, Texas, United States.... |
14 | 14 | FMAC, FFZN, FXUS, FYAG, FYWG, GAFQ, GJVB, GJVC, GJVH, GYHD, GYQT, GYRL, GYTL, GYXL | |
| Piper Aztec | 0 | 1 | GEHY |
A Saab 340
Saab 340
The Saab 340 is a discontinued Swedish two-engine turboprop aircraft designed and initially produced by a partnership between Saab and Fairchild Aircraft in a 65:35 ratio...
belonging to, and operated by Calm Air, is being used by Bearskin for some flights. Bearskin hopes to have a second Saab in operation by the fall of 2011.
Previously operated
Bearskin Airlines has flown the following aircraft in the past:- Beechcraft 18Beechcraft Model 18The Beechcraft Model 18, or "Twin Beech", as it is better known, is a 6-11 seat, twin-engine, low-wing, conventional-gear aircraft that was manufactured by the Beech Aircraft Corporation of Wichita, Kansas...
- Beechcraft 99Beechcraft Model 99|-See also:-External links:*...
- Beechcraft King Air 100Beechcraft King AirThe Beechcraft King Air family is part of a line of twin-turboprop aircraft produced by the Beech Aircraft Corporation...
(still owned but leased out) - Cessna 180Cessna 180The Cessna 180 is a four- or six-seat, fixed conventional gear general aviation airplane which was produced between 1953 and 1981. Though the design is no longer in production, many of these aircraft are still in use as personal aircraft and in utility roles such as bush...
- Cessna 185Cessna 185-Specification for differing configurations:-References:* Jan Churchill, Hit My Smoke: Forward Air Controllers in Southeast Asia, Sunflower University Press, Manhattan KS, ISBN 0-89745-215-1...
- de Havilland DHC-2 BeaverDe Havilland Canada DHC-2 BeaverThe de Havilland Canada DHC-2 Beaver is a single-engined, high-wing, propeller-driven, STOL aircraft developed by de Havilland Canada, primarily known as a bush plane. It is used for cargo and passenger hauling, aerial application , and has been widely adopted by armed forces as a utility aircraft...
- de Havilland DHC-3 OtterDe Havilland Canada DHC-3 OtterThe de Havilland Canada DHC-3 Otter is a single-engined, high-wing, propeller-driven, STOL aircraft developed by de Havilland Canada. It was conceived to be capable of performing the same roles as the earlier and highly successful Beaver, but was overall a larger aircraft.-Design and...
- Noorduyn NorsemanNoorduyn NorsemanThe Noorduyn Norseman is a Canadian single-engine bush plane designed to operate from unimproved surfaces. Norseman aircraft are known to have been registered and/or operated in 68 countries throughout the world and also have been based and flown in the Arctic and Antarctic regions.-Design and...
- Pilatus PC-12Pilatus PC-12The Pilatus PC-12 is a single-engine turboprop passenger and cargo aircraft manufactured by Pilatus Aircraft of Switzerland. The main market for the aircraft is corporate transport and regional airliner operators.-Design and development:...
- Piper Aztec
- Piper Navajo and Navajo ChieftainPiper PA-31 NavajoThe Piper PA-31 Navajo is a family of cabin-class, twin-engine aircraft designed and built by Piper Aircraft for the general aviation market, most using Lycoming engines. It was also licence-built in a number of Latin American countries. Targeted at small-scale cargo and feeder liner operations and...
Accidents and incidents
- May 1, 1995: Flight 362, a Swearingen Metroliner, collided with an Air Sandy Piper Navajo Chieftain while on approach to Sioux Lookout Airport, destroying both aircraft and killing all persons on both aircraft, a total of 8 dead.
- December 4, 1997: Flight 310, a Beechcraft 99 hit the runway at Webequie AirportWebequie AirportWebequie Airport, , is located south southwest of the First Nations community of Webequie, Ontario, Canada....
when it descended too fast. No injuries were reported. - January 29, 2003: A Beechcraft 99 climbed and entered a turn, but the captain had trouble seeing the artificial horizon. The first officer called that the aircraft was in a 2000 feet per minute descent. He then took control, but was not fast enough to prevent the aircraft from striking a frozen lake and bouncing back into the air. Believing that both propellers were damaged, he then crash landed on the lake. No fatalities were reported.