I stand corrected. Someone at CATSA should have their head roll.

If I'm not mistaken (not an expert on these matters east of YWG), Garda currently has a contract directly with CATSA, not the GTAA and if that isn't the case, it will definitely be the case come November 1. The federal legislation that regulates this (CATSA Act) lists contracting private companies and delegating to airport authorities to contract private companies among the options to implement airport security in Canada. The former option is the predominant one currently, and will become the only one on November 1 as far as I know. When the screeners walked out in YYC in 2004, the contractor then (Aeroguard Group) was very shortly cut away in YYC, YEG and YMM. However, because of the apparently warm relationship between Garda and CATSA they will actually be expanding their nationwide presence.

CATSA is too messed up to be fixed. It needs to be abolished and the leadership's heads placed on stakes to make an example of them.

So...we are creating more bureaucracy....more chains in the command.

We don't put "leadership's heads ... on stakes", and we will most certainly not "make an example of them" in this country. Not only are senior bureaucrats in this country un-fireable, we are better than that; we do not want any hurt feelings. Not that it matters anyways, they could just get another government job somewhere else.

Interestingly, the TSA front liners are government employees, managed directly by the government. I think SFO is the only place that is outsourced. Despite this, the TSA surcharge is about 8-10 times less and TSA checkpoints are run a lot smoother despite the stupid policies. Not only is this a lesson in how outsourcing is not always the best and cheapest, but it demonstrates who we should go after: the government imposing this fee. I'm pretty sure some companies are getting loaded through these contracts.

Say, where is mother government in all of this? Shouldn't Lisa the rat Raitt do something about this in order to "keep our economy on track"? After all, she did legislate employees that were lawfully on strike back to work....

SFO is the biggest airport which does not have "real" TSA screeners, but it is not the only one. A (slowly) growing number of airports are opting for private security.

Indeed, if the Canadian government wants to deem this an "essential service", they should scrap the CATSA fee and pay for this through the regular tax bill. After all, regardless how much you fly, safe skies are not a luxury. Only then will CATSA be at least somewhat accountable to the people. There's a lot less BS in a TSA checkpoint than you see in Canada.

...as much as I make fun of CATSA (How can you not, be honest) they are a hell of a lot better than the "unemployable people" the US hires as TSA agents.

That's 9.1% of their population, you know! Nearly the population of all of Canada!

Here is an idea, just as you see in the US as far as civil unrest on Wall Street; there are more of us then them. Lets all rush the security check points so they have to shut down the airport! I am sure the feds would step in and have the RCMP, Toronto Police, Customs, and the Boy Scouts step in and clean up the mess! After all if you shut down Pearson it would affect the Canadian Economy and that is a NO NO.

Are the normal priority lanes for AC top tier and Nexus users still in place and effective to any extent?

According to numerous reports in the other thread, the priority and Nexus queues are all still open and being used. Everyone else is SOL.

Perhaps the Guarda screeners might realize that YYZ pax don't need another reason to fly from BUF. There are already plenty.

How the company schedules workers may become a moot point for many of these screeners - the more pax in BUF, the less pax at YYZ, the less security screeners needed here.

For interest's sake: Garda is a publically traded company on the TSX.

Here is a 3 year chart of their stock, it's quite a bumpy ride:

http://stockcharts.com/h-sc/ui?s=GW....d=p81789520149


There are a few good screeners at YYZ T1 domestic: Cecil who I see on the lower level, and a few guys upstairs who are polite, respectful. I always return the favour and thank them. Let's face it, despite the recent crackdown on our rights and sanity, we do need screenings for every passenger. There are random nutbars everywhere, always have been.

Of course I am first to grumble: on this trip for the first time in my 7.5 years of regular air travel my hands were swabbed. It only took a second as I waited in line.

But really, let's say someone just mixed up the perfect concoction of hard-to-detect stuff in their garage, one morning. Would they really think: Oh geez I'd better not put this in my carry on because I might get the once-in-five-years hand swab!!

A better idea: at CN Tower you must walk though a machine that puffs air on you and then reads it. A great idea in place for years. Sadly the nude body scanners were gathering dust on showroom floors and had to be moved, pronto. One guy, yep one guy who had inside help to travel without a passport affected 7 billion people, overnight.
Coincidence? Or a wet dream for state crackdowns and the incidious link between government (our money) funding of private companies (kickbacks, envelopes of cash - looking in your direction, Honourable Mr. Mulroney)

I don't know if there are still issues today... yesterday Mrs. Redtop got through without too much problem, she has a Nexus card and Amex Plat for the express security line. Of course her flight was delayed two hours, so it didn't do her all that much good.

Gloves.
Love it.