It has been a busy time at GBA over the last two weeks. The ice is going to go early, the airplanes are ready and I have the itch…the good kind. Every spring it still amazes me what I do for a living as I long for the feeling of that first take-off.

First flight last year

Thoughts like these inevitably lead to wondering how and why Nik and I ended up in one of Canada’s truly unique paradises. While it is true that communities such as Red Lake, Sioux Lookout and Ignace all have the float industry woven into the fabric of the community, it is rarer still that raw tourism and commuter operations have become the focal point on downtown waterfronts. Classic locations that spring to mind are Vancouver, Victoria and Kenora. If you have ever tried to start a seaplane company in a town that hasn’t had the pleasure before you know how resistant folks can be.

Victoria Harbour

Call it luck or due diligence, but Parry Sound has a long history of float flying and was our first choice. We have been blessed with the opportunity to work on both coasts and across the middle of Canada. Parry Sound had everything that we were looking for… solid summer weather (2009 aside), the world’s largest fresh water archipelago, mild winters and eight million people just two hours away! I just love living here. The birth place of Bobby Orr (all of his nephews and cousins are still the best players you’ve seen), a vibrant downtown/waterfront core, and a community geared towards making you feel welcome, and on and on.

Parry Sound Harbour

Nicole was the chief pilot of the former company in our area and the opportunity to start our own business up became too hard to resist. This is a choice that I would make again and again. Beautiful Victoria in all her glory was the other consideration, but as an Ontario boy I feel that Parry Sound was our best choice!

See you at ice out!

Cheers

Keith Saulnier