by CONNIE TABBERT
Editor
WESTMEATH — The history of a highly respected airline is now in print courtesy of Del O’Brien, one of the main characters who saw it all start back in 1970.
It’s an airline that operated for 32 years without a single accident and flew into almost every major airport in North and South America.
Looking back at the Pembroke Airport and Pem-Air, Mr. O’Brien said it all started when he was a university student. Roads were primitive back then and whenever he returned to his Pembroke home from the University of Toronto, it was difficult.
“The bus service virtually stopped at every small town,” he recalled. “It
was nine hours to Toronto.”
After graduation, Mr. O’Brien began practising law in Pembroke and through connections, eventually headed up a committee to set up an airport. In 1968, Bill Kutschke, Mayor of Pembroke at the time, asked Mr. O’Brien to chair a committee to look into an airport and air service.
A grassy strip was located, municipalities were encouraged to put money towards purchasing it, and as they say, the rest is history. But, it’s a history that needs to be told, said Mr. O’Brien.
His book, Pem-Air, The Community Airline That Did it All, is now published and will be launched Tuesday, Nov. 17 , from 4 to 7 p.m. at the Travel Lodge in Pembroke.
Mr. O’Brien began working on his book following his retirement in 2010.
“Many people in the company suggested I write a book,” Mr. O’Brien said. “I
told them I would when I retired.”
Once retired, the book was first on the list of things to be accomplished. There was research to be done, then he had to dictate what he wanted written, and finally, get it published.
While the research did take time, Mr. O’Brien noted most of it was taken directly from his own files.
“It took me six months to dictate it,” he said. “But, it took me more time to deal with the publishing and design.”
Looking back, Mr. O’Brien noted Royal Air Service began providing passenger service on March 14, 1968. However, in late 1969, that service was discontinued.
Working with area businessmen, the idea of Pem-Air came to life. Dr. W.B.
Lewis, who is recognized as the father of AECL (Atomic Energy of Canada
Ltd.), was quite pleased with the idea of an airport coming to the Pembroke
area, he recalled.
“He offered to support it,” Mr. O’Brien said. “He said to me, ‘I will not be able to continue to operate a world class laboratory in the bush without daily service to Toronto.’”
On May 1, 1970, Pem-Air commenced operations.
There was a decade of good years, Mr. O’Brien said. Along with providing air service, there was also a flying school, which was well used by the government for training cadets.
“The government likes to have cadets near an army base,” Mr. O’Brien said. “We had so many pilots we were able to train them quickly.”
He noted that even the Japanese government sent young trainees to this airfield, not only to learn to fly but to learn the English language.
For a while, there was also an air ambulance out of this airport.
However, for various reasons, Pem-Air traffic was whittling away, he said.
“We carried on until the turn of the century,” Mr. O’Brien said. “Pem-Air
shut down in 2002.
“We sold the hangar to the Pembroke Airport Commission for $175,000 and
didn’t even get a thank you.”
Throughout its history, Pem-Air was “fully recognized internationally, flying from Quebec, Northern Ontario and Southern Ontario to many points,” Mr. O’Brien said.
The 158-page book will be available in various stores throughout the upper
Ottawa Valley.
As well as having a book launch, Mr. O’Brien will be signing and giving a talk about the book at the Petawawa Library on Nov. 18 at 1:30 p.m. and the Deep River Library on Nov. 19 at 7 p.m.
When questioned why someone should read the book, Mr. O’Brien said, “You’d want to read the book because it’s a unique story of achievement of what became of a highly respected airline.”
