canforce

So, to start this all off I had originally planned and booked this trip last year. As with everyone elses plans that did not go exactly to plan.

My Grandfathers birthday falls on the day after Canada day. I do not get to see him nearly as much as I would like to and had decided that for his birthday I would take him to go and visit a museum warship in Hamilton, Ontario. He is a Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) veteran and was my inspiration for joining the armed forces. Her Majesty's Canadian Ship (HMCS) Haida was retired from Canadian service almost 50 years ago and after many years spend as an attraction in Toronto at Ontario Place she is now moored in Hamilton, Ontario and falls under the control of Parks Canada as a National Historical monument.




I have very fond memories of this ship as I had the chance to go onboard many times as a cadet in my youth.

My Grandfather served onboard HMCS Nootka, the sister ship of HMCS Haida in the 1950s so I knew a visit to this ship would mean a great deal to him.

HMCS Nootka


However, last summer saw us move from Montreal, QC to Edmonton, AB so this years trip would mean a flight.

Being as I was scheduled to fly on Canada day very early in the morning I reserved a hotel by the airport in Edmonton for the night. I stayed at the holiday Inn express as there was a great deal on redemption rates going on. Due to a large amount of travel for work over the last two years I have been able to hold and attain Spire Elite status with IHG. While I know IHG brands are not the best I have a huge amount of points remaining and take every opportunity to use them.




I received an upgrade to a king suite and while nothing special it was more than enough for the short time I had in the room. Most importantly the air conditioning was working just fine and considering that Alberta was at the time under the heat dome with temps approaching 40 celcius the AC was really all I cared about.

I caught the shuttle to the airport at around 0500 and was reminded as I got onboard that due to Alberta entering stage 3 of the opening plan on Canada day masks were no longer required. It was weird being told I no longer needed to wear a mask. After a quick 5 minute drive we arrived at the terminal building which I was happy to see was busier than the last time I travelled in January. Its good to see people travelling again.

Checkin at the priority desk was quick and efficient and my priority tagged bags (more about that later) were soon whisked away on the belt and a quick trip through security had me airside. Knowing I would eat on the plane I grabbed a quick bite to eat and a cappuccino from Starbucks and just listened to music by the gate.

AC 162
YEG - YYZ
Boeing 737 Max 8
Business Class
Planned Take Off: 0700
Actual Take Off: 0715
Planned Landing: 1236
Actual Landing: 1300

Took a few shots of the aircraft before I boarded. We were flying from the new part of Edmonton's terminal which is very nice.






Boarding started right at 0625 as indicated on the boarding pass. This was my first time onboard this aircraft with Air Canada and I have to say the cabin is really nice. The business class seats are really large and comfortable and the screen is quite large for an aircraft usually used on domestic routes.

Here are a few shots from inside the cabin.

Plenty of legroom in these large seats.



The screen is really big onboard these aircraft and of really high quality. Those that have flown Air Canadas older aircraft know how much of a pain they can be and how low the quality image is. These are the direct opposite and are of really high quality.



Overall screen and seat view.



After we waited for some weight issues to be sorted out we were up in the air after a short taxi. Here are a few shots I took on the ramp.



There are still a lot of Westjet planes being stored at the airport. Hopefully they will be back in the air soon.




When I flew AC business class in December they were serving the meal box in place of the tray meal. Glad to see they have gone back to serving food on a tray. Breakfast was the standard Air Canada offering that they have had for years. What can I say. It tasted pretty good, the fruit was remarkably fresh and overall was a pleasant meal.



I was also asked for what drink I wanted and considering the limited selection of drinks onboard right now I think I made the right call. In fact my seatmate heard me order and changed hers to this as well.



Upon landing I made my way to baggage claim. Despite my bag being tagged priority it did not come out right away. Sadly at the end it did not come out at all. I approached the baggage desk who had me fill in a report. He did state the bags showed as loaded on the aircraft so at least they were in Toronto. As I had packed carryon light and the majority of my things were in my checked bag I asked if he could do a bit of investigating right away to avoid the need for bag delivery etc. At this point the two individuals with priority tagged bags also approached the baggage counter stating their bags did not come out either.

Fast forward 15 minutes and our bags were brought to the oversized baggage area. It turns out that our bags were the first off the plane as they should be, and were put on the back of a tug to be delivered first. Sadly that Tug never moved and sat at the gate. A quick inspection of the gate by the baggage crew found them. All in all an hour of my time I could have spent doing better things but in the end I got my bag and that is all that matters.

Next Up: Holiday Inn Express Waterloo and HMCS Haida

aeroman380

Nice report. I find IHG pretty good and clean. They always upgrade me to next grade room and are very reliable. I always try for the newer properties. Very weird to ear about the masks but you still had to wear onboard, right?
Great drink choice! Any compensation for late deliveries?

canforce

I havent asked for any compensation. In the end the delay was not that long and 1 out of the 2 employees really worked hard to get me my bag back.

I agree on IHG. Despite it being a pandemic year I have spend almost 90 days in hotels in 2021 and about 85 of those have been in IHG. With the exception of 1 holiday inn express in Leesville Louisiana and some issues at another hotel in Louisiana right after the ice storm I have no complaints. I spent 15 days at the Intercontinental in Houston and that stay was outstanding.

canforce

I checked out of the hotel early and headed over to pick up my grandfather.

Up to this point he had no idea where we were going or for what reason. In fact, he didnt even ask until halfway through the drive which actually really surprised me.

We started out on the 1 hour drive to Hamilton and halfway down highway 6 he asked where the heck we were going. When I told him he was quite touched and surprised. I was not sure if he has ever visited the ship before and he said he had not. This meant it would be an extra special day.

There was no traffic on the entire trip and we arrived at the perfect time to meet our guide. I had arranged a private tour as right now due to COVID restrictions many parts of the ship are still out of bounds. However with just three of us we were given complete access to the ship essentially creating our own tour.

To start off, here is a picture of my grandpa from the 50's a year or so after he joined the RCN.



We had an absolutely gorgeous day to visit the HMCS Haida and we started off on the upper deck with A turret which is where my grandpa spent his entire time while posted to the HMCS Nootka (sister ship to Haida).






Here is a picture of him working the Turret. This was the first part of the ship that he actually remembered.




The comment I heard from him most while we were walking around was he was shocked how large the ship was and that he just didn't remember it being that large.

We moved below decks to check out some other areas. We were limited in where we could go as he had a bit of trouble with the very steep ladders on board but still manged to go down 1 deck and check out the area where he used to eat and sleep.

This is the fire control room that fed information to the guns that my grandfather used to fire.



Galley




After a bit move walking around we called it a day. I could tell he was getting a bit tired and he still had dinner plans that night.

We snapped a few more pictures of the ship before we departed.

This shot gives a bit more of an idea on the size of the ship.



Midships view with the torpedo tubes on the right.



Just before our departure our tour guide gave him an HMCS Haida coin. I honestly think this was the highlight of the trip for him. He was very excited to show it to his friends at the Navy Club when he got home.

We then headed back to Kitchener. He talked about the trip the entire way back to his place and I could tell it really did mean a lot to him.

Next up... Staybridge Suites in Guelph and a small change to my plans for the next few days.

Loose Cannon

Thanks for taking the time and effort to share. I'm happy for you and your father.

canforce

Prior to the small trip to Hamilton I had checked out of the hotel in Waterloo. I had plans to visit with some friends (what was permitted during some crazy COVID times) however worked popped its head into the equation.

I had booked the next two nights at the Staybridge Suites in Guelph. I had stayed here once before and gotten the upgrade to the one bedroom suite. However this time around no upgrade (despite being Spire Elite) was available and it was the Studio queen for the next two nights.



In the end it did not really matter. I spent the next two days working pretty much straight out on a deployment of troops to Northern Canada in support of disaster relief operations. So in the end, bigger or smaller room it really did not matter.

I did break out for an hour or two to head over to a Mennonite farm that makes the absolute best hand made summer sausage money can buy.




I did order sushi from Orchid blossom sushi in Guelph. I had ordered from them last time I was in town and the food was absolutely amazing. If you are ever in Guelph and have the hankering for well prepared sushi at some pretty good prices I cannot recommend them enough.

Next Up: YYZ to YEG on the A220!

canforce

I slept in a bit longer than I normally would have so when I woke up it was a bit more of a rush to get to the airport.

I had rented my car from Hertz. Earlier in the year I had a rather long term rental that resulted in my attaining Presidents Circle status with Hertz. I was essentially told to take whatever vehicle I wanted in the lot when I had picked it up. I chose a nice Blue XC 40 and other than the interface (IPAD like screen) I really enjoyed it. Lots of power, very comfortable and a pleasure to drive.





After dropping off the rental checkin and bag drop for the flight was very quick using the dedicated check in area for Business class.

A quick trip through priority screening and I was airside in less than 15 minutes after entering the terminal. The Maple Leaf Lounge in Edmonton was still closed when I departed however the lounge in Toronto was open for business.

I found myself a nice spot to pass the 45 minutes or so I had before my flight. The lounge itself was fairly busy but I still managed to snag a nice seat by the windows all by myself.



I had a decent view from my seat as well.



All drinks are now served by a bartender in the lounge, most likely due to COVID protocols. I had a hankering for a Rye and Ginger and usually worry that it will be a bit weak when mixed by a bartender. This was not the case for this drink and I nearly had to go back to ask for a bit more ginger ale. It hit the spot perfectly.




You can also order food directly to your seat by scanning a QR code found at each table. I think this is a great thing and it seemed very popular. I hope this is something that sticks around as service slowly returns to normal.



I ordered a more main style noodle dish and a dessert. I was starving at this point and the noodle dish did not make it long enough to get a picture taken. Thankfully I remembered to take a picture of the Vanilla and Passion fruit Panna Cotta after just one or two bites. All the food was really good and served very quickly.



I headed for the gate about ten minutes before boarding was due to start and arrived just in time for them to call Boarding Group 1. I ended up being third on the plane.



AC 171
YYZ - YEG
Airbus A220-300
Business Class
Planned Take Off: 1420
Actual Take Off: 1428
Planned Landing: 1629
Actual Landing: 1609

This was not my first time onboard Air Canada's A220 (C Series) which are proudly built in Canada. I have also flown on the Swiss A220 and four or five flights on Air Baltics A220. I can say with no hesitation that Air Canada has the nicest and most comfortable interior hands down. These are gorgeous aircraft and a great addition to Air Canadas fleet.



The cabin is large and airy, the seat is very comfortable and the video screen is huge. I have also flown in Economy on this plane and love the 2 - 3 seating with very large screens for economy.



Even the windows are larger which makes viewing that much more enjoyable.



Pushback was just a few minutes delayed as they loaded the last of the baggage. Once Up in the air I turned on a movie and relaxed. A CRJ was pushing beside us at the same time.



Menus were handed out once we were in the air and I was offered a package of nuts and my choice of drinks. Why mess with what works is what I say....






Another round of drinks was offered with the meal. While I am not a huge fan of spinach, overall the meal was outstanding. I could have eaten three of the cheesecakes.



I passed the flight with a movie and another drink or two before landing in Edmonton ahead of schedule.



Still even more Westjet planes on the ground in Edmonton in what appears to be storage. Hopefully these aircraft will be flying again soon.



I was off the plane quickly and my bag was the third to come out.

Overall it was a pleasant experience flying AC to Toronto and back. Sadly we do not have any flights booked until December when we have plans to fly to Cancun. Our current flights have us booked on a 777-300 from Toronto to Cancun which will be our first lie flats to Mexico in all the years we have been travelling there!

Loose Cannon

Ah so the meal choices were "Eat or Don't Eat".

GregWTravels

What a great thing to do for your grandfather. While my father never served (much too young for WWII), his father did serve in WWI, and I got my father an experience going out in a biplane with the Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum in Hamilton. He absolutely loved it.

DominikBlasko

It was fun to read your report. Must have been a great experience for your grandpa. Nice report.