Aviation Tragedies and Triumphs
Aviation is the lifeline of Labrador West. Before the roads were paved, it was the only way in or out. However, this reliance on flight in a subarctic zone comes with a heavy price. The history of the region is punctuated by moments when the sky turned from a highway into a hazard.
For the first decade of its existence, Labrador West was an island in the sky. Before the railway was completed in 1954 and the highway in the 1980s, the only way in or out was by air. The airspace over Wabush in the 1950s was not quiet; it was one of the busiest air corridors in the world.
The Industrial Airlift: Hollinger Ungava Transport (1948–1954)
If you looked up in Wabush in 1952, you would see a plane landing every few minutes. This was not a commercial service; it was a private industrial air force.
To build the railway (QNS&L) to ship the ore, the Iron Ore Company of Canada (IOC) founded its own airline: Hollinger Ungava Transport (HUT).
- The Fleet: They operated a massive fleet of war-surplus Douglas DC-3s and C-46 Commandos. These planes were rugged, unpressurized workhorses.
- The Frequency: At the peak of construction (1952–1953), HUT was averaging 70 flights per day.
- The Record: In 1953 alone, this airline flew 68 million pounds of cargo—more than all other commercial airlines in Canada combined for that year.
- The “Airport”: There was no terminal. Planes landed on rough gravel strips cleared by bulldozers, or on the frozen ice of Ashuanipi Lake in the winter.
- Pilot: Many pilots were WWII veterans looking for adventure.
- Cargo: Everything from bags of cement to dismantled bulldozers. If it couldn’t fit in a DC-3, it didn’t come to Labrador.
The Commercial Dawn: The Opening of YWK (1961)
Once the railway was finished, the frantic industrial airlift ended, and the era of passenger travel began. The Wabush Airport (YWK) officially opened in 1961. It was owned by Transport Canada and served as the gateway for the families now moving to the town.
Two major airlines dominated the schedule, dividing the town along linguistic and geographic lines, supplemented by a tier of private corporate aviation.
Eastern Provincial Airways (EPA) Known as “The Newfoundland Airline,” EPA connected Wabush to the island and the English-speaking world.
- Route: St. John’s – Gander – Deer Lake – Goose Bay – Wabush – Montreal.
- The Aircraft:
- Early 1960s: They used the Handley Page Dart Herald, a loud turboprop that became the signature sound of the era.
- The Jet Age (1970): EPA introduced the Boeing 737-200 to the route. This was a game-changer, cutting the travel time to St. John’s or Montreal in half.
- The Vibe: The EPA flight was the “commuter bus” for Newfoundlanders. It was painted bright orange and white.
Quebecair Known as the “French Connection,” Quebecair connected Wabush to the mining head offices in Quebec.
- Route: Montreal – Quebec City – Sept-Îles – Wabush.
- The Aircraft: They relied heavily on the BAC One-Eleven (a British twin-engine jet) and the Fairchild F-27 turboprop.
- The Role: This was the airline used by IOC executives and the Quebecois workforce commuting from the North Shore.
Wabush Mines Company Plane
- Unlike the average worker who flew EPA, employees and families of Wabush Mines had access to the company plane. This aircraft was a vital link to the ownership group’s headquarters (managed by Pickands Mather in Cleveland, Ohio), allowing leadership to commute between the American steel belt and the subarctic mine in hours. Employees could put their name on the list and fly in or out 2 days a week. The plane flew from Wabush to Sept Isles and finally into Montreal.
- Families and University Students would often use this plane to come home for Christmas or fly to Sept Isles to pick up their car that had been shipped by Train.
- IOC Aviation: Similarly, IOC operated a fleet of smaller aircraft (like the Beechcraft King Air and various bush planes) to shuttle managers between Labrador City, Sept-Îles, and the remote railway camps.
The Crash That Almost Stopped History (1969)
On November 11, 1969, there was a momentous plane crash that wiped out the entire leadership team of the Churchill Falls (Labrador) Corporation (CFLCo) at the absolute peak of the project’s construction.
The Flight: November 11, 1969
- The Mission: The executive team was flying from Churchill Falls to Montreal, but they planned a short stopover in Wabush.
- The Reason: Donald McParland, the CEO, was scheduled to give a speech that night to the local branch of the Canadian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy in Labrador City.
- The Aircraft: A brand new DH-125 Business Jet (Registration CF-CFL). It was the corporate pride of the company, symbolizing the high-tech nature of the massive hydro project.
The Crash: The “Wrong Beacon” Tragedy
The crash was not a mechanical failure; it was a navigational tragedy caused by a subtle error in terrible weather.
- The Error: The pilots were flying an instrument approach in a pitch-black night with low cloud ceilings. They needed to lock onto the WZ Beacon (the airport approach beacon). Instead, investigators believe they mistakenly tuned their instruments to the WK Beacon (an airway beacon located miles away).
- The Result: The pilots thought they were lined up with the Wabush runway. In reality, they were parallel to it but 6 miles off course.
- Impact: Expecting to see runway lights, they descended through the clouds. Instead, at 6:30 PM, the jet slammed directly into the rock face of the Smallwood Mine (Iron Ore Company of Canada) property, just north of the airport.
The “Dream Team” Lost
The crash killed all 8 people on board. These weren’t just managers; they were the specific visionaries who had figured out how to build a dam in the middle of the subarctic wilderness when everyone else said it was impossible. The victims included Donald McParland (the “Steve Jobs” of the project), Eric Lambert (VP of Finance), and key engineers and managers.
The project did finish, largely because McParland had built such a robust team below him. Today, the executive guest house in Churchill Falls is named Donald McParland House. For residents of Wabush and Labrador City, the crash remains haunting because it happened on Remembrance Day, adding a permanent somber layer to the holiday in the local memory.
The Hijacking of Flight 321 (1972)
A major hijacking event involving Wabush took place on December 14, 1972, involving Quebecair Flight 321. It highlights the relaxed security of the era—passengers could walk onto a plane with a rifle—and the heroism of the crew.
The Incident
- The Hijacker: Larry Maxwell Stanford (21 years old), a former IOC employee who had recently become unemployed.
- The Boarding: Stanford boarded the flight in Wabush carrying a .22-calibre rifle. In 1972, airport security in remote locations was virtually non-existent.
- The Takeover: Once airborne, Stanford took control. He forced the pilots to fly to Montreal, then Ottawa, then back to Montreal. His ultimate demand was to be flown to Vancouver.
The Heroism of Josette Côté Dishongh
The situation was resolved largely due to the incredible bravery of flight attendant Josette Côté Dishongh. While the aircraft was on the ground in Montreal, she spent hours talking to Stanford, keeping him calm despite his agitated state. She convinced him to release the passengers first and eventually to surrender.
The Aftermath
No one was killed or injured. This incident, along with a global wave of hijackings, contributed to the rapid tightening of airport security across Canada. It is remembered by long-time residents as the moment “big city crime” came to the isolated mining town.
The Tragedy of Flight 111 (2010)
On September 28, 2010, another crash claimed the lives of two prominent mining contracting executives and their pilots just outside the Wabush Airport.
The Incident
- The Victims: Stéphane Lecavalier (President) and Christian Arseneault (VP) of L. Fournier & Fils, a major heavy civil contractor in the region, along with pilots Raymond Green and Fabian Pauzé.
- The Crash: The Beechcraft King Air A-100 crashed into the wooded area just 300 meters from the runway at Wabush Airport.
The Cause
The Transportation Safety Board (TSB) investigation revealed a tragic sequence: the pilot, Raymond Green, likely suffered a sudden medical incapacitation (suspected cardiac event) during the final approach. As he slumped forward, he pushed the control column down. The co-pilot tried to pull the plane out of the dive, but the suddenness and low altitude made recovery impossible.
Community Impact
Because the crash happened so close to the airport and the town, many residents saw the smoke or heard the impact. It served as a grim reminder of the risks of the “fly-in” culture that executives and workers engage in daily.