The Whistler Municipal Heliport is being grossly
mismanaged. It was constructed in the early 90’s using public money to serve as
the community’s aviation facility. Backcomb Helicopters is using their dominant
position with the society charged with operating the heliport to prevent any
other helicopter companies from getting established in Whistler.
My name is mike Quinn, and I’ve been a resident of
whistler and in the aviation business since 1986. In 2012, I sold my floatplane
company assets to Harbour Air, and changed the name of my company from Whistler
Air to Spearhead Aviation. I reactivated my helicopter operating certificate
(Whistler Air operated helicopters from 1992-1997) and attempted to get
re-established at the heliport. I was met with fierce opposition from the
Whistler Heliport Society.
John Morris, the president of the society and the
president of Backcomb Helicopters, informed me that there was no room for me at
the heliport. It was an absurd excuse; the heliport was designed to accommodate
up to 5 helicopter companies, and Backcomb Helicopters was the only operator
there. So I went public, and the Pique published my letter shaming Blackcomb
Helicopters. Within short order, the municipality stepped in to secure me a
lease at the heliport. I held on to the company for 3 years, then sold.
Currently, Denis Vincent, (a well established
helicopter operator from Alberta) has been attempting for over a year to get a
lease at the heliport. He was met with the same opposition from the Whistler Heliport
Society that I encountered. They have refused to answer any of his emails or
return his phone calls. So he approached the owner of Spearhead Aviation (my
old company) to offer to buy them out.
As soon as the Whistler Heliport Society found out
that Mr. Vincent was buying Spearhead Aviation, they immediately cancelled the
lease, citing nonsense technicalities as their excuse. There is now a legal
fight ensuing over this.
Blackcomb Helicopters carries a lot of weight in
this town and it is obvious that those in power are fearful of that. When I
approached the municipality to assist Mr. Vincent with his desire to come to
Whistler I was turned away. This newspaper was going to publish an in depth
article on the matter but their lawyers, fearful of a lawsuit, advised them
against publishing.
It’s time for the elected politicians to step up
and do the right thing. The federal and provincial governments put over 3
million dollars into building the municipal heliport for the benefit of the
entire community - not just the interests of one private company.
I propose the heliport should be managed by the
municipality, just like the airports in Pemberton and Squamish. When the
Whistler Heliport Society was created, it was assumed that the many operators
at the heliport would manage the facility properly. However, the attrition of
every operator (except Blackcomb Helicopters) resulted in the society being run
solely for one company’s interest.
The bullying tactics used against Spearhead
Aviation, Mr. Vincent and his customers are an outrage. There is a demand for
competition in the helicopter industry here in Whistler. Competition will
benefit the entire community by offering choice and lowering costs. I sincerely
hope that those running for office this November take notice of this and make
it part of their agenda to address.
