CANADA’S RECORD.

Waikato Times, Volume 119, Issue 19895, 26 May 1936, Page 12

CANADA’S RECORD.

AIR FREIGHT CARRIED. ‘ TREMENDOUS MILEAGE. Nineteen thirty-five was a “bannerl year" in Canadian air transport. Omclul information shows that the total of express-freight moved by air during the year was no less than 26,439,224 Ib., that airmail aggregated 1,126,084 Ib., and ton-miles 1,852,081. The subjoined table shows the rapid expansion of the past three years:— Pasaengers Freight Ton Flown Carried Mail Mile 1933 _ 106.252 4,205,901 539.358 237.300 1934 ._ 125,03114.«1.179 625,040 335,114 1935 _ 171,472 26,439,224 1.126.054 1.352.051 Approximately two-thirds of the express—freight carriage was handled by ten companies, operating a total of one hundred aeroplanes, employing 113 pilots and 107 air engineers. Largest organisation in the field is Canadian Airways, with a fleet of forty aeroplanes, employing 49 pilots and 46 air engineers. This company reports a total mileage for the year of 1,584,659. It carried 13,687 passengers, 5.228.770 lb. of express-freight and 702,449 lb. of airmail. One of the smaller operators, Mr J. H. St. Martin. works from a point known as St. Felicien on Lake St. John, Quebec. Doing all of his own piloting and maintenance and uSliiKi only one aeroplane Mr St. Martin carried during the year no less than 676,054 lb. of freight. A small company based at Vancouver transported 2.4.300 lb. of mining supplied, foodstuffs and other material to a mine in the Lardeau district of British Columbia. The mine is located 8,600 feet above sea-level, on the face of a glacier. All supplies had to be dropped in the snow because landings were not feasible; not one bit of cargo was damaged. .. ‘~ ‘ ‘

The chief bases from which the various “bush operations" are conducted are located in the mining districts of Quebec, \Vestern Ontario, eastern and northern Manitoba, north—ern Alberta and British Columbia. Nearly all of the freight-express carried by air comprised machinery and supplies for mining camps. In these vast; regions air transport is not only the safest and most. usual form of transport, but it is also the most economical. Incidentally, more than 80 ]Jt'l‘ com. 01‘ Hu- loiul cui‘i'iugc of express—freight In 1035 \\'as in areas west of the Great Lakes, which supports the belief held by many that western Canada would adopt the aeroplane more quickly and extensively

lthan other parts of the Dominion. i m by Air. A new and thriving industry has recently developed in the air freighting of fish, an activity centred mainly around Kenora, approximately 125 miles east of Winnipeg. Load: of fresh fish are picked up daily, carried by air to Kenora and thence de‘spatched in refrigerator cars to the cities of eastern Canada and the l United States. During the past year 1296,2368 Ib. of fish were thus trans- ; ported from the Kenora district; gen‘erally the loads originated from heavily stocked lakes which are aclcessible only by air. ‘ The great impetus given by the flying machine to mining production is strikingly illustrated by the recent bringing into production of a mine which is situated four hundred miles north of the transcontinental railway. Only three years ago the mining are: concerned had not been thoroughly inspected, but the aeroplane has enabled development work to be accelerated in a remarkable degree. Some idea of the future progress of express-freight transportation in Canada may be gathered from an order, placed recently with Canadian Airways, which calls for the carriage of a million pounds of freight—largely fuel oil~from Lac Sell] in western Ontario to the Argosy Gold Mines camp seventy miles away. This is probably the largest single airfreighting contract ever let. All of this immense and rapidly; growing activity is carried on wi - out the aid of a single dollar in the form of Government subsidy—a fact which is at once a tribute to the resourcefulness, courage and determination of Canadian operators and “1% futable proof of the real eeononuc value of the flying machine. .Already Canada owes much to avilthn: in the future that debt will be mcreased a thousandfold. Vast areas of the Dominion, many of which are now only at the very beginning 0! great mineral development, will depend primarily on air transport for many years to come.